Huddersfield Town's Van La Parra dreaming of meeting his Manchester United heroes

One match will be at the forefront of Huddersfield Town winger Rajiv Van La Parra's search when the Premier League fixtures are announced on June 14.
Huddersfield Town's Rajiv van La Parra celebrates with team-mates after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, London.Huddersfield Town's Rajiv van La Parra celebrates with team-mates after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, London.
Huddersfield Town's Rajiv van La Parra celebrates with team-mates after winning the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium, London.

Huddersfield will join the top tier for the first time in 45 years next season, following their Championship penalty shootout play-off final victory over Reading on Monday.

Like most of his colleagues, next season will be Van la Parra’s first chance to taste Premier League football. The 25-year-old has dreams of appearing at Old Trafford, having grown up following Manchester United’s Red Devils as a child in Holland.

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Van La Parra said: “Every game in the Premier League is unbelievable. The stadiums, the atmosphere. It doesn’t matter who we get first.

“But Manchester United will be the one. It will be nice if I can play at Old Trafford. As a child, I watched Manchester United on television. To stand on that pitch myself would be a dream.”

Van La Parra joined Huddersfield last summer following two frustrating seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

But he flourished with extra responsibility under coach David Wagner and made 46 appearances.

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Having missed out on a move to the Premier League when leaving Dutch side SC Heerenveen in 2014, he is hoping to grasp his chance at the big time.

“The Premier League is the best competition in the world, and to go there is unbelievable.”

The Dutchman was one of a number of European imports brought to the John Smith’s Stadium by Wagner in the summer and he hopes Town’s momentous Wembley win will keep the club’s ‘family’ together.

The future is unclear regarding loanees Aaron Mooy, of Manchester City, and Chelsea duo Izzy Brown and Kasey Palmer but Van La Parra says: “Now we are in the Premier League, it should be easier for us to keep them.

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“They played a big part this season and, hopefully, they can stay and be a big part next season.”

Van la Parra felt the rotation policy under Wagner was key to maintaining an upbeat squad environment. “For me, I had the feeling that everybody was happy – even the players that didn’t play. They knew we gave our all and that they were a part of this. Without that, we wouldn’t have achieved what we have.”