HUDDERSFIELD Town have completed the signing of former Sunderland favourite and Stoke City utility man Lynden Gooch.

The 29-year-old, capped four times by the USA earlier in his career, has penned a three-year deal with the League One outfit after arriving on a free transfer. He becomes the club’s ninth addition of a busy summer window.

The California-born player left Stoke at the end of last term.

Gooch spent two seasons in the Potteries after being signed by former Sunderland boss Alex Neil late in the 2023 summer window.

Latest Huddersfield Town signing Lynden Gooch. Picture courtesy of HTAFC.

placeholder image — Latest Huddersfield Town signing Lynden Gooch. Picture courtesy of HTAFC.

The versatile star made 31 starts under four different managers in Staffordshire, playing at right-back, left-back, right wing, left wing and once as a number ten. In total, he made 53 appearances for Stoke.

Gooch made his name on Wearside, where he rose through the youth system and went on to make 246 senior appearances for the Black Cats between 2015 and 2023.

It incorporated spells in the Premier League, Championship and League One, with the Santa-Cruz born utility man becoming a dependable figure under a string of managers.

During Sunderland's time in the third tier, Gooch impressed and netted the decisive strike in the 2021 EFL Trophy final and started at right-back in the 2022 League One play-off final.

Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant (Image courtesy of Huddersfield Town)

Town chief Lee Grant said: "Lynden is another important addition to the squad, bringing us quality and strong competition at right-back.

"Despite offers to stay in the Championship, he has bought in to our vision and ambition, and I’m looking forward to seeing him contribute to our collective goals.

"An attack-minded player, his approach to the game compliments how we want to compete, so I’m really happy to get this deal done and have Lynden within the group well before the season begins.

"His experience will be invaluable both on and off the pitch for the group, and he’s another player who knows how it feels to not only be promoted from this league, but the hard work and dedication it requires to get there.

"A tenacious character, he’ll be a player our supporters enjoy watching represent them, too."

Gooch, who spent a loan spell in Yorkshire earlier in his career at Doncaster Rovers and has linked up with Town at their training camp in Austria, added: "I had time to assess my options this summer and really think about where I wanted the next step of my career to be, and after speaking to Lee Grant, I had no doubt that Huddersfield Town was the right club to join.

"I’m an ambitious person and hungry to compete, and that’s exactly what I see across the squad here, too.

"I’ve been promoted from this league before and want to have that feeling again, and I know that’s what everyone at the club is going to be fighting for.”