Danny Cowley's first 5 signings as Huddersfield Town manager - Where are they now? | OneFootball

It sometimes slips the memory that Danny Cowley once managed Championship side Huddersfield Town.

Cowley earned a reputation from his time at Lincoln City along with his brother Nicky, but they decided to end their time at the club in September 2019 to join the Terriers.

In January of that year, David Wagner had left the John Smith's Stadium, and Huddersfield began what was to be a managerial cycle as they struggled to find a suitable replacement.

Jan Siewert was given the role in between Mark Hudson taking charge on an interim basis on two separate occasions.

But in September of that year, Huddersfield decided to appoint Danny Cowley as their new manager.

Cowley wasn’t in the job very long, as he only stayed until June 2020 after securing the club's Championship status, which meant he only oversaw one transfer window while at the club.

So, here at Football League World

Danny Simpson

Danny Simpson spent most of the early part of his career at Manchester United, but since leaving there in 2010, he has played for several sides.

One of them was Huddersfield Town. He joined the club in September 2019 on a free transfer after leaving Leicester City that summer.

The defender became the first signing in Cowley’s era and was at the club for the rest of that season. He played 25 times for the Terriers in the short time he was there, but after leaving the club, he struggled to get straight back into football.

His next club was Bristol City, which came in March 2021, and he stayed with the Robins until March 2022. He has since been without a club, but while he hasn’t officially retired from football, he has been working as a pundit, covering Manchester United’s games on MUTV.

Richard Stearman

Richard Stearman is a player who has been around football for a long time now after coming through the ranks at Leicester City.

The defender has played for some big football clubs, including Wolves, Ipswich, Sheffield United, Derby County, and Huddersfield.

Stearman was bought from Sheffield United by Huddersfield in the January 2020 transfer window as Cowley looked to add more experience to his defence.

Stearman stayed with the Terriers for 18 months, leaving the club in August 2021 to join Derby on a free transfer. He stayed with the Rams for two seasons before leaving and joining non-league side Solihull Moors this summer.

The experienced defender has played seven games for the club so far as they look to gain promotion to League Two this season.

Harry Toffolo

When a manager leaves one club to join another, there is always the possibility that he will bring a player with him to his new side.

That was again the case with Danny Cowley, as he brought Harry Toffolo with him from Lincoln City.

The left-back had been with the Imps since 2018, and in his time at the club, he had really impressed, becoming an attacking outlet on that side.

So in January 2020, he got his chance in the Championship, joining Huddersfield on a permanent basis. He was a firm fixture under Cowley and even stayed at the club after he left, but in the 2022 summer transfer window, Toffolo left Huddersfield to join Nottingham Forest.

The 28-year-old is still there now, but is struggling to feature on a regular basis for the club. Furthermore, the defender has just been given a five-month suspended ban for admitting to betting breaches.

Andy King

Leicester fans will know who Andy King is, as he was a part of that side that famously won the Premier League. But the player will also be known by other supporters, like Huddersfield, as he’s represented a few teams throughout his career.

While King was still at Leicester, he spent the end of the 2019/20 season on loan at Huddersfield.

The Welshman played just 14 times for the club, and after his loan, he returned to his parent club, where he was released.

King went on to have a short spell in Belgium in 2021 before coming back to England and signing for Bristol City, where he still remains. The 34-year-old signed a new deal at the club in the summer, meaning he is contracted at Ashton Gate until the end of this season.

Emile Smith-Rowe

Emile Smith-Rowe has spent all of his short football career at Arsenal, but before becoming part of the first team, he spent time on loan at Huddersfield.

He joined the club in the January 2020 transfer window for the rest of that season, playing 19 games, scoring two goals and registering three assists.

Once his loan ended, he returned to Arsenal, and ever since, he has been part of the first-team picture, with that loan spell helping the midfielder break into the team. The start of this season has been hard for the 23-year-old, who's struggled to get many minutes.