Pipa: It’s a dream to play at Wembley!

SPANISH DEFENDER IS LOVING LIFE WITH THE TERRIERS

IT’S not been the most straightforward of seasons for Pipa.

One of the stars of last season before he suffered a groin injury that he pushed through for the good of the team in their battle against relegation, the former Spain under21 international spent the summer trying to get back to full fitness only to have to undergo surgery in August.

That meant the right-back did not make his first appearance for a much-improved Huddersfield Town side until just before the turn of the new year. By that point the player signed in the summer to act as his back-up, Ollie Turton, had improved to the extent Pipa found it difficult to displace him from the starting line-up – a task that was not helped by a couple of minor injury setbacks and niggles.

Gradually, though, the 24-yearold has been looking more like his old self. He has started four of Town’s last six games, including the vital victories over Luton Town and Middlesbrough that propelled Carlos Corberan’s side clear of their fellow play-off hopefuls.

Whether that has created or resulted from the incredible spirit in the Town camp is a matter for debate, though one suspects it has been something of a virtuous cycle – and that atmosphere filtered through to Pipa even as he was facing the frustrations of having to work to come back from injury.

He said: “This season has been unbelievable. Talking about the players, about the squad, about everything. Compared with last season and other years I’ve been playing football, I think I can say it’s one of the best ones.

“Many years in my career I’ve not been in a good moment - I’ve always been suffering or struggling to not

Compared with last season and other years I’ve been playing football, I think I can say it’s one of the best ones

get relegated or in a position in the middle of the table.

“It’s a special moment this year for everyone. It’s true that I’ve been injured for a long time but I was living the same as the other players because you’re doing the same here [at Canalside] and you feel the happiness of everyone every day, so I was in the same mood as them.

“For me I think it will be the most important year for me.”

Pipa admits the side’s good form this season made it all the more frustrating to have to watch from the sidelines over the first half of the campaign, however, saying: “It’s true. I remember when I was injured I couldn’t play the first games we played, but I was on the pitch because I had never been here in England with fans in the stadium.

“So I was there watching the game and I knew I was going to be out for three or four months injured, and I saw the ambience of the