Huddersfield Town: Michael Duff will surely be dreaming of big Michal Helik news: View | OneFootball

Michael Duff was appointed Huddersfield Town manager earlier this week, and the new Terriers boss’s first task will be to keep hold of Michal Helik through the summer.

The colossal centre-back was one of the few shining lights at the John Smith’s Stadium during their relegation campaign, with his ability in both penalty areas making him a standout performer for the Yorkshire side.

The Polish defender made the move to Town from Barnsley after the Tykes dropped out of the second tier two years ago, and his current club will be hoping there isn’t a repeat of that scenario after being faced with a similar fate this summer.

With nine goals to his name for the previous campaign, Helik was the club’s top scorer in the Championship, and if Duff can keep hold of him for a season in the third tier, an immediate return to the highest level of the EFL would be an easier target to achieve.

Michal Helik EFL career: Barnsley, Huddersfield Town

During his four seasons in English football, Helik has proven the he can perform admirably at Championship level, having racked up over 150 appearances in the second tier to date.

His move to Oakwell coincided with Barnsley storming the division in his first season at the club; with a fifth-placed finish earning them a spot in the playoffs under the tutelage of Valerien Ismael.

The Yorkshire side were unable to repeat that feat the following year though, as they finished rock-bottom of the Championship and dropped down into League One, although Helik had still caught the eye with his towering presence at the back.

With six goals to his name during his first two years in England, the Pole added another two in his first season with Huddersfield, before beating his tally for the previous three years in this season’s prolific campaign.

The pinpoint delivery of Sorba Thomas from set pieces made the defender’s job all the easier, with the wide man picking him out more often than not when he managed to head home.

With both players’ futures at the club uncertain as it stands, Duff will already be going to work to tie down his prized possessions ahead of an assault on the third tier when the season gets underway in August.

If Helik is retained for the following campaign, Duff will be able to call on an internationally capped centre-back, a luxury in the division and one that could make the difference between automatic promotion and a playoff spot.

With the likes of Barnsley, Blackpool, and Peterborough United all likely to be competing for the top spots next season, to have a player that repels opposition attacks at will - as well as posing a threat at the other end - would make the Terriers’ new manager’s life all the less complicated.

Duff has experience of the League One play-offs, and will be doing everything he can to make sure he doesn’t have to go through them again in the next campaign; having lost to an 120th-minute Sheffield Wednesday winner in the 22/23 campaign while at Barnsley.

Michal Helik Huddersfield Town contract information, weekly wage

The good news for Duff and Huddersfield is that Helik still has a year left on his current deal at the John Smith’s Stadium, with the club also said to have the option of extending that for another year should they wish to do so.

That will give them the upper hand when trying to fend off any incoming offers for their defender over the coming months, with plenty of Championship clubs sure to be keen on bringing him to the club.

The likes of Cardiff City and Millwall could well be looking to make the most of Town’s demise and bring the Pole in this summer, given their reputation for making the most of set-piece situations over the past 12 months.

Erol Bulut’s side plundered a league-high 21 goals from dead-ball scenarios in the previous campaign compared to the Lions’ 15, and both would love to have someone with Helik’s aerial prowess to give them even more of an advantage in the future.

Despite dropping a division and funds having to take a hit, Helik’s reported £7,692 weekly wage isn’t anywhere near being the highest at the club, so the Terriers won’t have to ship him out for financial reasons after their drop in division.

If Town line up on August 31st with Helik in their backline Duff will consider that a successful transfer window; and knows the defender’s ability could be the difference-maker in a gruelling League One campaign.