Huddersfield Town are set to announce ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant as their new manager on Wednesday.
Grant will come from Ipswich Town, where he was a first-team coach under Kieran McKenna.
The 42-year-old replaces Michael Duff, who was brutally fired by the League One club last March.
The Terriers fired Duff a day after they lost 1-0 to Bristol Rovers, knocking them out of the play-offs.
Huddersfield, a Premier League team until 2019, finished the 2024/25 season in 10th place, 14 points behind the play-offs.
They have now tasked Grant, who has never managed before, with guiding the team back into the Championship.
Grant’s playing career as a goalkeeper lasted 22 years.
He made his professional debut for Derby County in September 2002, and he went on to make 79 appearances overall.
Grant soon established himself as a regular presence between the sticks for Championship clubs, moving between Sheffield United, Burnley, and even returning to Derby, before earning his Premier League debut with Stoke City in August 2016.
He first joined the Potters on a six-month loan to fill up for the injured Jack Butland.
However, his move became permanent in the January transfer window when he preserved six clean sheets in 15 league games.
In fact, Grant remained in Stoke’s starting lineup until Butland returned from injury in April 2017.
Grant’s performances were so impressive that he was named Stoke City’s player of the year for the 2016/17 season, as the Potters finished 13th in the Premier League table.
Grant was relegated to backup duties behind Butland the following season, when Stoke’s 10-year reign in the first flight came to an end.
Following Stoke’s relegation, Grant was surprised to be offered a two-year contract by Manchester United.
He made only two appearances for the Red Devils, including a start in the Europa League against Atalanta, which United lost 2-1.
Grant’s career ended in May 2022, and he immediately joined Ipswich as a coach.
The ex-goalkeeper discussed his drive and love for management while at Ipswich and working with McKenna.
He reflected on his time at Manchester United, telling The Athletic in January: “I would sit with Paul Pogba and pick his brain.”
“People used to perceive Paul in a certain way because he was a big character. I wanted to know how I would deal with Paul if I were a manager. So I’d ask him directly: ‘Paul, when I’m manager in a few years, how do I handle Paul Pogba? What can I do to bring the best out of you?
“I recall having a similar talk with Anthony Martial when he was outraged over something.
“I spent time with Juan Mata, who had won everything: the World Cup, the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup.
“I was also interested in learning more about Nemanja Matic. Why was Nemanja so revered in this locker room? Why did Paul Pogba have so much respect for Nemanja? Why did certain players look up to Paul and feel they couldn’t critique him, whereas Nemanja could?
“Honestly, I’d be taking notes. Someone on the outside may think, ‘But you didn’t play much in those four years, you didn’t do anything. No, I did a lot.
“That moment was huge for me, which is why I’m here now. I’d like to think Kieran noticed something in me.”
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