Huddersfield Town v QPR: Sorba Thomas reveals inspiration from Manchester United defender Harry Maguire

The Huddersfield Town winger suffered a few bruises in a season which represented a fall from those giddy highs in 2021-22 when international recognition with Wales and a rise to Championship prominence arrived in a campaign which saw the Terriers reach Wembley, His name was in lights.

Thomas's pain is now healing after time working with Neil Warnock and now Darren Moore. Manchester United and England defender Maguire is continuing to collect bruises, but the Yorkshireman is admirably staying strong.

Good people like Gareth Southgate also have his back.

Thomas said: "With all the situations that were happening last year, I kind of looked towards people like Harry Maguire, who after the abuse he gets, still turns up for the game and gives 100 per cent.

"He doesn't really listen (to others).

"I don't know him. He is someone that, when he does something good, someone will always see the bad.

"He still plays on and is professional. I look at people like that and give them a lot of respect."

This time last year, Thomas's career seemed to be approaching a crossroads. It was a season which ended in him being loaned out to Blackburn Rovers in January and it didn't go particularly well in Lancashire either.

Neil Warnock quickly provided a pep talk, pledging that the Londoner would play in a big part in his plans for the new campaign, having previously tried to sign him from non-league outfit Boreham Wood when he was in charge at Middlesbrough.

The veteran's famed man-management skills started to get the best out of the wingman, who labelled Warnock as 'the calm one'.

As luck would have it, another calm figure in Darren Moore has succeeded Warnock and he has shown a similar duty of care.

Thomas added: "For myself, from a personal point of view, he's been like a father figure. On the first day he came in, he pulled me into the office straightaway.

"Usually, when a manager calls you in, it's a ten-minute conversation and it ended up turning into a 30 or 40-minute conversation.

"It was just him caring about who I am as a person and (saying) ‘who is Sorba Thomas?’ I like those types of people who really care. He's a caring man, but you can tell he's got a winning mentality.

"Some people would say I am not the best person to manage at times. Everyone goes through those periods.

"With Neil and Darren's experience, all you have got to do is sit there and listen. When they talk, they have got the whole room listening.

"I am always someone that is willing to learn."

After getting a fair bit of stick in some quarters on social media last term, Thomas has lived to fight another day at Town.

If there are any barbs in the future, he will take it on the chin and show defiance in his own way.

He said: "You want to go out and talk about me on social media, that's fine. Because you are putting my name out there.

"I am using that as a fuel and it's one of those that when I put the ball in the back of the net, I will be looking at all those people who are talking about me."