Club record signing Mounie promises to repay Huddersfield Town's faith in front of goal

The 22-year-old joined the Terriers from Montpellier last month in an £11.5m deal, making him Yorkshire football’s sixth most expensive import.

For Town, Mounie’s arrival marked the third time in just a few days that head coach David Wagner had shattered the club’s record fee as he looks to build a squad capable of making the step up into the Premier League.

Such a fee might weigh heavily on some players, but Mounie, who is likely to start tonight’s final pre-season friendly against Torino in Austria, is adamant that the only pressure he feels is that which fires all strikers.

“I feel the responsibility (to score goals) because I am the striker,” he said, “not because I am the record signing.

“Strikers are always under pressure to score every game and help the team to win the game. So, even if I wasn’t the record signing, I would feel these things.

“I have to score every game so, to me, being a record signing does not matter for me. I give my best on the pitch always and for the team and fans.”

Only five players have been signed by a Yorkshire club for a higher fee than the £11.5m that brought Mounie to the John Smith’s Stadium.

Rio Ferdinand leads the way courtesy of his £18m switch to Leeds United, who also spent £13m on Robbie Keane under David O’Leary.

Hull City also spent £13m to take midfielder Ryan Mason to the KCOM Stadium last summer.

Middlesbrough spent big to bring in Britt Assombalonga this summer from Nottingham Forest for £15m, ten years after splashing £12.7m on Afonso Alvez.

Of those, Ferdinand proved the biggest success – as underlined by his subsequent move to Manchester United in a then British record £30m deal – while Alvez was a big-money flop.

Judging by his efforts in pre-season, Mounie has the potential to be an excellent acquisition for Huddersfield with his 315 minutes on the pitch having already yielded three goals.

He will be looking to add to that tally tonight in Jenbach as the Terriers bring down the curtain on their preparations for the new campaign by taking on Torino.

To do so, Mounie will require better service than that which he received on Tuesday night in the 3-3 draw with Stuttgart that saw the striker far too isolated as a misfiring midfield struggled in the first half.

As planned, Wagner made ten changes at the interval to protect his players from the blistering heat that had seen temperatures top 36 degrees earlier in the day and Town improved markedly.

Tonight is likely to bring a different approach with the starting XI set to play at least an hour as Wagner finalises his plans for the opening-day trip to Crystal Palace on August 12.

“We will see what we do,” said the German when asked about his approach to taking on the Serie A outfit. “We have to make sure everyone stays healthy. Every player now has a lot of minutes in their legs, that makes us happy.

“We don’t have to give players 90 minutes in their legs because they have done this.

“But I do think we will not play two teams, like we did on Tuesday.”

Christopher Schindler is expected to return to the starting XI alongside Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen after missing the Stuttgart clash through illness.

Trialist Dimitri Cavare should also feature in his final chance to impress before a decision is made on whether to offer the full-back a deal.

Jonathan Hogg, however, will not be risked due to an ankle problem, while Martin Cranie has returned to England for treatment on a hip flexor problem that is set to keep the defender out for a few weeks.

As for Mounie, he is eagerly awaiting the start of the new season. “There is not a better championship in the world,” he added.

“It is exciting to play in the Premier League with great stadiums and great atmospheres. We can have big battles with players during games.

“I am very much looking forward to my first game in the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, academy manager Steve Weaver has left Huddersfield Town.