Belief and destiny is key for Huddersfield Town

From 16-year-old bouncer running local football teams to becoming renowned as one of the top motivators in sport, Black has risen to every challenge, earning accolades along the way.

Armed with a sports science degree – his doorman duties were initially to fund an accountancy course – Black was involved at the start of the thrilling Kevin Keegan era at Newcastle and also assisted Peter Reid and Paul Bracewell in taking Sunderland and Fulham, respectively, up to the Premier League.

Can Huddersfield beat Millwall? Richard Sutcliffe gives his verdict in this week's SportsTalk >>

This father of three, however, hit national prominence as the mentor who helped turn Jonny Wilkinson into a World Cup winner, also being part of the Newcastle Falcons rugby union revolution before being appointed to Wales' coaching staff and becoming part of the 2001 backroom set-up for the Lions' tour of Australia.

He has even taken time out to study the workings of American Football and Cirque du Soleil while becoming a hugely successful motivational business speaker – being described by Keegan as "the best one-to-one coach in the world," and by former Wales and All Blacks coach Graham Henry as "the best motivator I've ever encountered".

Now 53, Black's latest challenge under the title 'performance coach' is inspiring Huddersfield Town in their quest for promotion from League One.

A goalless home draw in the first leg of the semi-final play-off means there is everything to play for tonight when Lee Clark's side tackle Millwall at the intimidating Den. Judging by previous hurdles he has overcome and the sporting stars he has helped along the way, this assignment should hardly tax Black.

But this hugely generous Geordie and one-time professional boxer takes a different slant.

The last man off the pitch on Saturday, having shaken every Town player's hand – and several Millwall players – he says: "Without sounding cliched, a mentor of mine from the States said 'you live in the here and now' so the biggest game I have ever had in my career is tonight.

"The biggest game that Terry McDermott (assistant manager), who has won three European Cups with Liverpool, and Derek Fazackerley (first-team coach), who played a record number of games for Blackburn and who was an England coach under Sven (Goran Eriksson), have had is tonight.

"That is the philosophy that underwrites everything we do at Huddersfield. I love reminiscing but, professionally, you have to live in the here and now.

"We have to galvanise the troops and make sure they are passionately up to play the game, which they will be. The situation almost takes care of itself but you also have to have a professional composure, to make good decisions. If we do that, we have a hell of a good chance of getting to Wembley.

"We talk about things in a very positive manner; we talk about when we do it, not if we do it."

Some Town fans will believe their side should have taken at least a one-goal advantage into the second leg to have a chance but Black has no room in his life for such negative thoughts.

"Millwall are not Barcelona, Man Utd or Arsenal. They are a very good League One team, by the way, but are beatable. As we are.

"If we get to Wembley on a nice surface and on a big pitch with our expansive, fast-flowing football and an ability to score goals, we'll have a good chance."

A 'Baloo the Bear' type character, Black combines an affable, caring nature with a burly physical, bearded presence, ever ready to put an arm round a colleague when things are not going smoothly.

A humourist to boot, Black also has a quote for every circumstance, and continued: "Henry Ford once said 'If you think you can or you think you can't then you are probably right.' The team that thinks they can will do it. That's not just words.

"Hands would go up in each of the four dressing rooms ahead of the play-offs if asked 'do you think you can do it?' but it's those who deeply feel it, the team with the greatest belief that will do it.

"If you take away all our biases, all four play-off teams are probably much of a muchness. So it's not going to be the skill of the players that does it but the deep collective belief and sense of destiny that will do it. Whoever has got that more will do it.

"Those who can keep control in the heat of the moment and continually be positive and courageous and keep saying good things and look to find people doing things right and keep pulling people together and not let emotions get over the top."

If ever a team is going to be motivated tonight, then it is the one in the away dressing room.