How Martin Drury really wants to rebuild Huddersfield Town - Cardiff City 2.0? | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town boss Martin Drury has set out a key plan ahead of his Terriers rebuild

Martin Drury is vying for long-term success, having recently been appointed as Huddersfield Town's head coach.

Amid managerial instability, the Terriers finished ninth in League One at the end of the 2025/26 season, eight points adrift of the play-off places.

The West Yorkshire club began the season under Lee Grant's stewardship, but the 43-year-old was sacked in January, following a defeat to Burton Albion.

Grant's successor, Liam Manning, was granted compassionate leave in March, and left via mutual consent following the conclusion of the League One campaign.

Huddersfield subsequently appointed Drury, who ended the season in caretaker charge, as their new head coach in late May.

The Terriers were relegated from the Championship in 2024, and Drury's ultimate goal is to lead the Accu Stadium outfit back to the second tier following a series of failed promotion attempts ever since.

Martin Drury outlines factor that will play a key role in his Huddersfield Town rebuild

Huddersfield ended their season with a 4-0 triumph over AFC Wimbledon, and will hope that they can earn more strong results like that next term.

The Terriers have earned just seven league wins in 2026 so far, which is something that Drury will want to improve on as soon as the 2026/27 campaign gets underway.

Drury's men will learn next season's fixture list on 25th June, 10 days after the summer transfer window opens.

Oxford United, Leicester City, and Sheffield Wednesday are new additions to Huddersfield's League One schedule, having been relegated from the Championship.

Meanwhile, Bromley, Milton Keynes Dons, Cambridge United, and Notts County all won promotion from League Two, and will take on the Terriers in the third tier.

Drury knows there is plenty of work to do at the Accu Stadium, and the 40-year-old told the Yorkshire Post how he is going to utilise his side's academy: "I think that's what this club has been built on in the past. It wants to develop people, it wants to develop staff and players.

"It was a highly successful period last season, particularly for the B team. That didn't happen in 12 months. That's years of work, dedication and sacrifice.

"It's not going to be a click of the fingers, it's going to take a bit of time. The thing we can take from the academy is the consistency. A lot of people within the academy have been there a number of years.

"I remember five or six years ago coming up against Huddersfield when it was in a transition period, when the academy closed. That's been a long journey, but it's a great representation of how you build success.

"The first team players, from what I've seen, welcomed young players when they came up. That's not always the case. They want young players to come up, they wanted to be challenged and to help and support them.

"I think there is a general good connection between them, and I'd like to bring that a little bit closer."

Drury has already shown his appetite to develop young players by handing 19-year-old forward George Sebine six appearances and two starts at the end of the 2026/27 League One campaign.

Sebine scored as a substitute in the aforementioned triumph over Wimbledon, following starts against both Bolton Wanderers and Mansfield Town.

The teenager could soon become a fan favourite at the Accu Stadium if he starts next season in the same goalscoring form he displayed against the Dons.

Huddersfield have frequently shelled out on experienced players with pedigree both in, and indeed above, League One level. Fans have, however, questioned an often-scattergun approach to player recruitment and there hasn't been a lot of sustainability attached to the Terriers' transfer thinking, which opens the door for a more holistic and low-cost strategy in platforming young homegrown talent instead.

That is, of course, precisely what Cardiff City did in the wake of relegation to League One, and after Brian Barry-Murphy elevated the likes of Cian Ashford, Joel Colwill, Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor, the Bluebirds romped to an unchallenged second-placed finish and are now returning to the Championship in stronger health than ever before.

Huddersfield can't get ahead of themselves quite just yet, but they would undoubtedly love to follow Cardiff's example and the Bluebirds have displayed how successful this strategy can be in the third-tier when executed properly with requisite quality.

Huddersfield need to give Martin Drury time

Drury's plan to place a focus on Huddersfield's academy shows that the West Yorkshire outfit's new head coach is keen on overseeing a long-term project.

However, in recent months, the Terriers board have shown a lack of patience, as former boss Grant was sacked in January even when his side occupied a play-off spot.

Manning then struggled before being granted compassionate leave, while Drury has reinstalled somewhat of a feel-good factor at the Accu Stadium.

Huddersfield must remain patient with their new boss, who is inexperienced and could take time to establish consistency.