As Huddersfield Town continue their pre season preparations with friendly matches against some of the biggest names in European football (Udinese, Vfb Stuttgart & Torino), there is an air of "as it should be" around the club.
Had you mentioned the Terriers to European football fans in previous years, you would have been greeted with quizzical, if not blank, looks. No one (other than their supporters abroad) knew of Huddersfield Town.
Wagner's influence
The "Wagner Revolution" changed this, the German born head coach has received messages of congratulations from people within German football. Wagner will be looking to emulate "surprise packages" who have now established themselves firmly within Bundesliga. Examples include Paderborn (who Elias Kachunga helped earn promotion), Mainz (who when promoted for the first time quickly established themselves), and also Freiburg.
Wagner said: "Of course, especially in Germany to be fair, Huddersfield Town is a name in football. I think it was not a name 18 months before because even I didn’t know something about Huddersfield when I first got in contact."
He then added: "Maybe after the top six in English football, it is one of the biggest and most known names and football clubs in Germany now. There are several examples comparable with a club like ours in Germany."
Pre-season preparations
The Terriers have played most of their pre season friendlies away from home, the only team to visit the John Smith Stadium was Udinese. Huddersfield Town will be looking to remain in the top flight of English football for the coming seasons, it will not be easy, but as the summers signings show, they have the intent to establish themselves within the Premier League.
If Town can remain in the top flight, their name will spread further afield and more interest in the small Yorkshire club can only be a good thing, for the town of Huddersfield and the local ecomony.