Hudson making his Mark with Siewert

FORMER Huddersfield Town captain Mark Hudson has a key role when it comes to promoting young players to the club’s first team.

Hudson was a coach of the Elite Development Team and the under19s side before Jan Siewert was appointed as Terriers head coach.

Under the new boss, the 36-yearold has taken on a role as a first-team coach but has maintained his connection with the academy as Town look to ease the progression of young players into the senior squad.

When teenagers like Matty Daly and Aaron Rowe join Jan Siewert’s first-team training, their former academy boss helps them to adapt.

Hudson explained: “They know my voice and what I expect from them.

“I’m not always the one who puts my arm round them - I will when it’s needed - but they’ve also had the ‘I need better from you’. They know what they will get from me, so it’s not a surprise to them.

“They hear the head coach’s voice on what he wants, but leading into the game, depending on the individual, I will have a word with them to either calm them down or gee them up, whichever I think they will need.

“When they step-up it is new to them and they do have the nerves, some take it better than others, but I’ll be the same with them now as I was in the Academy.

“A familiar voice, I hope, will help them.”

Town changed their academy set up at the start of the season so that training, sports science and gym work mirrored what the firs-team were doing.

That has helped the likes of Demeaco Duhaney and Aaron Rowe step up and make their full debuts for Town in the Premier League.

Hudson added: “We brought these players into the academy with a view that they’ve got something, and that they can have good careers, hopefully with Huddersfield Town. “It’s great that they’ve made their debuts.

“When I coached them, it was a case of turning the academy training into what the first team one was like

I will have a word with them to either calm them down or gee them up, whichever

they need

to make that transition easier. The youngsters have to feel comfortable with the sessions, the idea of the club, how we want them to play and where we want them on the pitch.

“Each individual like Aaron, DD and Matty (Daly) - the ones that are starting to push into the first team - all feel comfortable when they come to train with us.

“It also stops the worry when thinking about what they should do on the pitch, what partnerships they should have and what their angles should be.”

Hudson explained that he and head coach Siewert are in constant communication about how the younger players are developing and which ones are ready to step up to the first team.

“Jan and I have had long conversations about the club, the players and what’s underneath to support the first team,” he revealed.

“I can give Jan all the feedback with that because I have coached a lot of the young lads.

“Things happen in football with injuries or suspensions, so you always have to be aware of who could help us.

“Jan knew before those happened that there were some younger players that were ready to step-in and so far, they’ve given good accounts of themselves.”