Lee Grant breaks silence on Huddersfield Town sacking - "I've got full confidence" | OneFootball

Lee Grant has spoken for the first time since being sacked by Huddersfield Town, admitting he would have liked to have been given more time.

It has been a turbulent season for Huddersfield Town in League One, but they will be hoping that better times are ahead under Liam Manning.

After a disappointing 10th-placed finish in League One last season, Huddersfield appointed Lee Grant as their new boss in the summer, marking the 43-year-old's first venture into management after a spell as a coach at Ipswich Town.

Grant was given strong backing by owner Kevin Nagle in the transfer market in the summer as 14 new players arrived at the Accu Stadium, including high-profile signings such as Ryan Ledson, Marcus Harness and Alfie May.

After their summer recruitment drive, the Terriers were widely tipped to win the League One title, but despite a strong start to the season, they struggled to live up to those expectations, and pressure began to mount on Grant amid his side's inconsistent form.

With growing numbers of supporters calling for his sacking, Grant was dismissed by Huddersfield last month following a four-game winless run, departing after winning 17 of his 36 games in charge, drawing six and losing 13.

Just days after his exit, Grant was replaced by former Bristol City and Norwich City head coach Manning, but after winning his first three games in charge against Bradford City, Luton Town and Peterborough United, many of Town's previous issues have resurfaced.

Lee Grant speaks out on Huddersfield Town sacking and issues Liam Manning prediction

Appearing as a pundit on Sky Sports' EFL coverage on Saturday afternoon, Grant broke his silence on being sacked by Huddersfield, but while he admitted he would have liked to have been given more time at the Accu Stadium, he backed the squad he built to have a successful season under Manning.

"I loved every minute of being a manager, that's for sure," Grant said on Sky Sports.

"Of course, the challenges are vast.

"I would have loved to have been given the opportunity to continue the job that myself and the players set out on at the beginning of the season.

"Of course, that's not the case, but I've got full confidence that, despite the fact the form isn't quite where they want it to be at this moment in time, this group of players can go and achieve the things that they want to do this season."

With one of the best squads in League One at his disposal, there is no doubt that Grant underachieved during his time at Huddersfield, and it is easy to see why owner Kevin Nagle opted to make a change, particularly as performances did not suggest that an upturn in results was imminent.

However, the Terriers would have known that appointing an inexperienced manager came with risks attached, and while Grant should have got more out of his players, his side were still sixth in the table at the time of his departure and firmly in promotion contention.

Grant had a respectable 47.2% win rate during his time in charge of Town, so he has certainly done enough to earn another chance in the dugout, and another League One club should take a gamble on the former Manchester United goalkeeper.