Huddersfield Town confirm player exit - fans have had a lot to say | OneFootball

Freddie Ladapo's time at the Accu Stadium proved extremely underwhelming

Huddersfield Town confirmed the departure of striker Freddie Ladapo on Thursday evening, with plenty of Terriers fans subsequently sharing their thoughts on the matter.

It has been a respectable start to his first full-time managerial role for Lee Grant at the Accu Stadium, with Town expected, by many supporters and pundits alike, to be among a cluster of sides fighting it out for promotion in League One and subsequently returning to the Championship after a two-year absence.

The man who was previously assistant to Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town during the club's back-to-back promotion-winning period between 2023 and 2024, has overseen a major squad transformation in this part of West Yorkshire as a result, with plenty of pre-existing members of the squad subsequently falling down the pecking order as a result.

Ladapo has been one of the names to have fallen into said category, having endured a frustrating stint with the Terriers since moving to the club on a free transfer this time last year following the early termination of his Ipswich contract after the Tractor Boys' promotion to the Premier League.

Amid a handful of incomings which have subsequently boosted an already potent and experienced centre-forward department, Ladapo's future looked extremely uncertain, and as a result, his time at the club is now up, with plenty of supporters voicing their opinion as a result.

Huddersfield Town move clearly didn't work out for Freddie Ladapo

After penning a two-year contract with the club under former boss Michael Duff following a premature departure from Portman Road, it was expected that Ladapo would have a strong influence on proceedings at the Terriers as they looked to mount a first-time promotion bid back to the second-tier.

The Romford-born man made his first appearance through a 21-minute substitute cameo in a 4-0 away success at Bolton Wanderers just four days after moving to West Yorkshire, before making his first - and solitary - League One start in a 2-0 home defeat to Blackpool 10 days later, eventually being substituted after 70 minutes.

Despite featuring in three EFL Cup encounters and another substitute appearance in an FA Cup defeat to Tamworth, Ladapo failed to assert himself as a first-team regular under Duff and Jon Worthington, as he was omitted from seven of the final eight matchday squads of the season, with his final appearance coming in Duff's final game in charge - a 1-0 away defeat to eventually-relegated Bristol Rovers in early March.

Although he and Grant had a pre-established connection through their time at Portman Road, Ladapo failed to make a matchday squad once more in the early weeks of this season, with new signings Alfie May and Leo Castledine and the form of Joe Taylor giving the 32-year-old no chance of sourcing regular minutes.

As such, the new Town boss explained his decision and the respect he has for the striker for the mentality he showcased prior to his mutual departure.

"As a Club, we’ve been having honest conversations with Freddie about the likely size his role here for some time, and this mutual decision is the natural conclusion of those discussions," Grant explained via the club's website.

"Remaining professional, committed and training well throughout pre-season and the first month of competitive matches, I would have expected nothing less from Freddie having got to know him and worked with him closely in the past."

Numerous Town supporters have since reacted to the developments via X, with one supporter blaming former Sporting Director, Mark Cartwright, for the circumstances which unfolded following Ladapo's arrival.

Another Huddersfield fan was of the same viewpoint, wishing Ladapo well in his future endeavours.

Given the duo's connection to the Suffolk club, an Ipswich fan was quick to praise the aforementioned Grant's comments after the mutual decision was made, with Tractor Boys fans clearly keeping a close eye on their former assistant's exploits.

As expected though, some at the Accu Stadium weren't overly convinced by Ladapo's contributions, believing they will be better showcased in League Two.

Another supporter summed up their feelings with the tongue in-cheek reference of Pep Guardiola's infamous reaction to Sergio Aguero's departure from Manchester City on Sky Sports.

Given their own lack of minutes, another fan - somewhat harshly - hoped for the same outcome for Bojan Radulovic and Dion Charles.

It remains to be seen where Ladapo's next venture takes him at 31 years of age. However, there will likely be clubs with differing aims in League One or potentially in League Two who may consider a low-risk signing as a free agent, if they have scope to do so after submitting their current squads to the EFL.