'A brilliant example': Huddersfield Town boss Michael Duff on rise of Lasse Sorensen and his message to Danny Ward

The Terriers’ 100 per cent start to the 2024-25 season in league and cup is seeing some individual success stories come to the fore.

Close-season arrival Sorensen is, most definitely, providing one.

The Danish wing-back has already registered four assists so far this term, with two contributions to goals in the recent Carabao Cup win over Morecambe being followed by two more in last weekend’s 2-1 success over Stevenage.

While Sorensen’s arrival from Lincoln City was relatively unheralded, he is already looking like being one of the shrewdest additions at League One level so far in the summer window, let alone at Huddersfield.

Head coach Michael Duff, someone who has always kept his finger on the pulse regarding the depth of lower-league talent just beneath the surface from his time at Cheltenham Town, said: “Lasse is a brilliant example because if I’d imagine you asked most Huddersfield Town supporters last year about Lasse Sorensen, they wouldn’t have had a clue because he was a League One player.

"This is what I mean about people being dismissive about League One. People wax lyrical and he’s been great.

"(With) His mentality and physicality, he’s a typical Scandinavian in terms of he does everything he can to the betterment of himself and we get the by-product of that.

"It’s another marker that there’s some good players in this division.”

Many may be extolling the virtues of Sorensen – who started his career in England at Stoke City – but Duff knows full well that getting the best out of the existing senior players who have been around the John Smith’s Stadium for a great deal longer will assume a huge degree of importance in 24-25.

Among that number is Danny Ward, whose second spell at Town has not been without its frustrations at times.

Injuries restricted the Bradford-born player to just 21 appearances last season in a testing campaign for the experienced frontman, 33, who rejoined Huddersfield for a second stint in the summer of 2020.

Duff, whose side play their third successive home game in all competitions on Saturday when they welcome Shrewsbury Town, commented: “That’s the job. To get the best out of all the players.

"My job is essentially is to unlock potential in people. Just because he (Ward) is plus-30 doesn’t mean he can’t learn.

"I played until I was 38 myself. So age is just a number.

"If he can stay fit, he’s been good and his application has been good and he’s trained properly. There will be different games and tactical things, whether he starts or doesn’t start.

"We’ve got a good squad depth now and we can’t rely on a centre forward or one player. The beauty of having a deeper squad is that you can make a few changes and keep things alive.

"But it’s up to them when they are on the pitch to deliver and in training.”