Huddersfield Town will be envious of Wrexham, Lewis O'Brien possibility - What if? | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town supporters may forever wonder what might have been with Lewis O'Brien.

Another successful promotional campaign for Wrexham AFC could be devastating for one fan base in West Yorkshire.

There was a point not so long ago that Huddersfield Town appeared to have been on the cusp of coming back to the Premier League after their two-year stay between 2017 and 2019.

Among their big academy exports and prominent players at that time was Lewis O’Brien. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t quite get Huddersfield into the top-flight, as they suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 play-off final defeat to Nottingham Forest, when he should have been awarded a penalty for a second-half surge into the penalty area.

The Colchester-born midfielder, however, might be a key component to Phil Parkinson’s quest to get the Red Dragons into that coveted league via the same route this year.

Lewis O’Brien’s impact at Huddersfield Town

It may feel like a lifetime ago for some, but Lewis O’Brien was once a key component of the Huddersfield Town setup. The Englishman showed promise from his early days in the club’s youth setup, being named the Academy Player of the Year in 2017-18.

That led to a loan spell at one of Parkinson’s former clubs, Bradford City. Despite their League One relegation in 2018-19, O’Brien was deemed to be a driving force for them. He had four goals and four assists that season for them while being a mainstay in David Hopkin’s setup.

While that experience ended in relegation, it seemed to prepare the youngster for the pressures of playing Championship football. At only 21, he looked like an emerging talent ready to take Huddersfield back to the top flight. He went on to have a very impressive 2019-20 campaign, despite the Terriers' 18th-place finish.

His energy, precise recovery tackles and strength on the ball were evident throughout that campaign. He’d been named the Man of the Match multiple times during the month of October in that campaign. In the second tier that season, he netted two goals and recorded four assists. Meanwhile, he led the team in tackles per 90 that season, averaging 3.4, according to FotMob. He also figured in the top three for big chances created (five) successful dribbles per 90 (1.2), and interceptions per 90 (1.3) on the team.

O’Brien’s efforts that season did not go unnoticed, as fans voted him Player of the Season. Yorkshire Live reported that O’Brien got 65% of the votes. He went on to score three goals over the next two Huddersfield campaigns. His biggest individual highlight probably came in 2020 when his stunning long-range effort versus Barnsley was named EFL Goal of the Month for January.

His efforts began to attract the Premier League's attention. In the team’s highly successful 2021-22 Championship season, O’Brien again played a pivotal role, leading the team in tackles per 90 (2.3) and successful dribbles (2.1).

Thanks to his strong play, the club finished third in the Championship, coming so close to returning to the Premier League. A Levi Colwill own-goal in the play-off final against Nottingham Forest tragically kept them in the second tier, alongside some quite disappointing refereeing decisions.

O’Brien would move to Forest shortly after that heartbreaking loss, another twist of the knife in the hearts of Huddersfield supporters.

Lewis O’Brien’s career struggles since

While he had been given a deserved opportunity to play in the Premier League, O’Brien didn’t exactly prosper in the years following his transfer. He featured in only 13 top-flight matches in 2022-23 for Forest, scoring just once.

He fell out of favour with Forest boss Steve Cooper, a former academy coach at Wrexham. They subsequently loaned him to DC United in Major League Soccer (MLS) before he came back to England on loan at Middlesbrough in 2023-24. He suffered ankle and leg injuries shortly after being loaned to the club, leaving him inactive for the long term.

He briefly returned to MLS with Los Angeles FC in 2024 before another loan spell in England at Welsh side Swansea City. While he’d struggled to stay healthy, O’Brien had a wealth of experience heading into the previous EFL summer transfer window when Wrexham came calling.

Lewis O’Brien’s polarising impact at Wrexham

Lewis O’Brien’s arrival in North Wales last July was met with excitement despite his injury struggles in the past. Upon putting pen to paper, O’Brien declared on the club’s website: “I want to be part of that journey, and take Wrexham to where they want to be.”

He had over 150 Championship caps at that time and, when healthy, showed that he still possessed the technical ability Wrexham needed. While he’s shown to be a force at times this season, O’Brien has notably missed his share of scoring opportunities. Some of those missed chances proved costly for the Red Dragons in the early portion of the campaign.

Lately, though, we have seen him step up for Parkinson’s side, showing exceptional vision and pass accuracy in a 5-3 win at home to Ipswich Town.

That may well have been O’Brien’s best game in a Wrexham shirt. As we reach the final portion of the Championship season, his experience and versatility could be invaluable to a side chasing down a fourth successive promotion.

Huddersfield Town will be envious of Wrexham and Lewis O’Brien

Over the past few years, Huddersfield and Wrexham have been going in opposite directions. The Terriers are in the middle of the pack in League One, fighting to maintain a play-off position. As for the Red Dragons, they are eyeing a play-off position as well and, given their current momentum, no one would put it past them to potentially get into the top two.

After nearly seeing their side get to the top-flight a few years ago, it would be a cruel blow to Huddersfield supporters to see one of their prominent players from that time take Wrexham to the top.

O’Brien is starting to show his best at a time when Wrexham need it the most. His performances of late and another Wrexham promotion could have Huddersfield fans wondering what might have been.