Lee Grant has been reported to be a late option for the Huddersfield Town manager vacancy by journalist Alan Nixon with the Ipswich coach joining former Hull City manager Ruben Selles in contention for the role.
Grant, 42, joined Ipswich Town in May 2022 as the Tractor Boys’ new first team coach. Since his appointment, the East-Anglia side have secured back-to-back promotions to the Premier League – where they finished 18th with wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea amongst others.
The former Sheffield Wednesday man joins Reuben Selles in contention for the job – who was sacked following the Tiger’s 21st place finish in the Championship last season.
Lee Grant’s Record as a Player and Coach –
Lee Grant came into the world of coaching following a goalkeeping career that spanned 22 years and saw the former number 1 play for clubs such as Manchester United, Derby County and Burnley.
The 42 year old then joined Ipswich Town as their first-team coach where he completed his UEFA Pro License in 2023. However, if Grant was to join Huddersfield Town as their first team manager, he would leave the Tractor Boys but would come into the role with experience across League One, the Championship and the Premier League in a coaching position – experience that would be invaluable at the West Yorkshire side.
The Huddersfield Reset –
Huddersfield can be said to be in the middle of a reset currently following a 2024/25 campaign that saw the Terriers finish 10th and in a season that saw the Yorkshire side go through two managers in the form of Michael Duff and Jon Worthington ultimately finishing 14 points outside the play-off spots despite being in the top 6 for the majority of the 2024/25 season.
This reset can be said to have been started with the releasing of the club’s retained list that saw the John Smith Stadium’s outfit release ten first team players including central defender Matthew Pearson and Josh Koroma and in a retained list that saw the Terriers reduce their overall squad size from 42 players to just 18.
Theories surrounding a Huddersfield reset can be said to be further supported through the Yorkshire side owner’s comments who said himself to local media that he would be “eradicating” the disease he believes is present within the club currently starting “with leadership and culture”. Arguably, in recruiting Grant – a serial promotion winner -, the club would be changing the Huddersfield culture more towards success.
Can The Ipswich Town Coach Succeed?
Lee Grant has an impressive record across all areas of English football – both in coaching and in playing. With experience getting promoted out of League One, the 42 year old can be seen to be suited to the role. Furthermore, with the size of the club and the support of the club, Grant would aim to build a bond between the fans and the players and establish a good team spirit – an essential element in being promoted out of any league.
However, with his only coaching role falling at Ipswich – where he is assistant manager, Grant arguably is inexperienced when compared to other candidates such as Selles. As well as this, becoming Huddersfield Town manager would mean the former Sheffield Wednesday player would be taking up his first management role. This probes an important question – would Grant be able to adjust well and could he guide the Terriers to success or would he fall under the pressure that comes with being the manager of the West Yorkshire side?