Huddersfield Town v Derby County: Karlan Grant ready to shoulder burden of expectancy

The Terriers host Derby County at the John Smith’s Stadium tonight, aiming to get their 2019-20 campaign off to a winning start.

The 21-year-old striker was Huddersfield’s top scorer in the Premier League last season with just four goals. He only signed for the club in January, averaging a goal every 219 minutes.

Town’s next best goals-per-minute ratio came from defender Mathias Jorgensen, who averaged a goal every 716 minutes with three in over 2,000 minutes of football.

Huddersfield scored just 22 league goals last term but, despite that miserly return, Grant feels they are better equipped going forward this campaign.

“Obviously I am a number nine and I am expected to score goals, but I feel like we will score goals all over the pitch,” he said.

“The team is good enough, so I don’t feel like there is much pressure there.

“If there is an opportunity, then, hopefully, I will be there to take it.”

He added: “I will just take each game as it comes and, hopefully, get as many goals as possible.”

Grant admits that there will be added pressure on his shoulders, regardless of how many goals he is scoring.

But the former Charlton forward is hoping to thrive under the expectation as the focal point of Huddersfield’s attack.

He said: “There is pressure in everything you do, so I feel that no matter what I do there is going to be pressure.

“If I don’t score goals, there is going to pressure and if I do score goals there is going to be pressure because the fans will want more.

“So, hopefully, I can thrive with the pressure.”

Huddersfield won just three of their 38 top-flight fixtures last campaign but Grant says there is now a much more positive feeling around the club.

The Terriers have not lost a game, competitive or otherwise, since they were beaten 5-0 by European Champions Liverpool on April 26.

And after two draws to end last season, followed by a six-game unbeaten run in pre-season, the Town squad has gained a renewed sense of confidence.

Grant continued: “Everyone is buying into what the manager wants to do, we haven’t lost a game in pre-season.

“That gives confidence on its own and, hopefully, we can continue winning games in the season.”

Town have not been handed the easiest of opening games as they host last season’s beaten play-off finalists, and Grant added: “You want to be playing in front of fans and playing for points and it couldn’t come quicker.

“They (Derby) will be disappointed about not going up and they will want to bounce back but we want to beat them.”