Huddersfield Town club captain Jonathan Hogg makes dramatic claim ahead of new League One campaign

It explains why his view that team spirit is markedly improved already under Michael Duff – the Terriers head coach takes charge for the first time in Saturday night's opener at Peterborough United – carries much weight.

His sentiments are all the more prescient given the withering criticism from his predecessor Andre Breitenreiter surrounding some unnamed individuals in the squad towards the end of a bitter 2023-24 campaign which ended in relegation.

Refreshingly, it appears that Town are coming together again under Duff, but the key barometer will arrive after Peterborough.

Hogg, speaking ahead of his 12th season at the club where he has earned legendary status, said: “It feels like the club has gone alive again, if I am being honest.

“It does feel a lot different. The new manager has come in and made it clear what he wants and the standards he has set. He’s said: 'Everyone on board, come on board (again). If you are not on board, then you won't be a part of the squad’.

“The lads have also bought into it and are pulling in the same direction.

“From the dressing room point of view, this is the closest dressing room we've had for five or six years, I think.”

Duff has confirmed that luckless striker Bojan Radulovic will be out for six weeks with a groin injury.

Fitness and form issues have ensured that the former Serbia Under-19 forward has endured a tough time since arriving from Finnish football in the January transfer window and his woes have been exacerbated by his latest issue, suffered late last week.

Duff said: “He played in a ‘bounce’ game last Friday and scored three goals in 28 minutes and pulled his groin. It’s good we were getting minutes into him, but just sort of where he is at, at the minute.

“We just can’t keep him on the grass. It’s a disappointment for him and us.”

Ollie Turton and Ben Wiles are both available this weekend.