'˜I'm a lucky boy' - Huddersfield Town midfielder Jonathan Hogg pleased to return after '˜fearing the worst'

Huddersfield Town midfielder Jonathan Hogg has described his relief at returning to the football pitch just 19 days after fearing his career was over.
Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg receives treatment on the pitch for an injury during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. (Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire)Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg receives treatment on the pitch for an injury during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. (Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire)
Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg receives treatment on the pitch for an injury during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. (Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire)

The 28-year-old was told he might not play again after scans revealed a fracture to his spine following an awkward fall in the 4-0 defeat at Bristol City last month.

However, Hogg marked his return with a man-of-the-match performance on his 100th outing for Huddersfield as the Championship high-fliers downed Norwich City 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’m a lucky boy to be out there because when the doctors said it was a fracture in my spine I feared the worst,” said Hogg, of whom Town manager David Wagner had no hesitation in throwing back in. “For the boss to show a bit of faith in me was encouraging. Hopefully I paid him back.”

Hogg was injured after a collision with Town captain Mark Hudson and received 15 minutes of treatment on the pitch at Ashton Gate.

“It felt worrying – I’d never felt pain like it,” added Hogg. “I had a neck brace on which wasn’t too good – I didn’t sleep too much with that on. As soon as I got home with the missus and the kids it was fantastic for me. That took my mind off it a bit.”

Hogg’s return helped Town end a blip of back-to-back defeats and kept the club hanging to the coattails of leading pair Newcastle United and Brighton.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wagner’s side are now nine points off second-placed Brighton with seven games to play – and a game in hand.

Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg receives treatment on the pitch for an injury during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. (Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire)Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg receives treatment on the pitch for an injury during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. (Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire)
Huddersfield Town's Jonathan Hogg receives treatment on the pitch for an injury during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. (Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire)

And Hogg has not given up hope of finishing in the automatic promotion places.

He said: “Strange things have happened this season and we are not a million miles off. If we can get three points on Saturday it will put real pressure on the top two.”