Mark Fotheringham: Why the Scotsman was always 'first choice' to be head coach at Huddersfield Town

The 38-year-old will work alongside Narcis Pelach and Paul Harsley, with his first game in charge being Saturday's Championship trip to Reading.

His maiden home match at the helm will be against Yorkshire rivals Hull City on Sunday week.

Fotheringham arrives after impressive stints in German football with Hertha Berlin and Ingolstadt. He has also coached at Karlsruhe, adding to two years coaching in Scottish football with Cowdenbeath.

Dundee-born Fotheringham worked as assistant to Hertha interim boss Felix Magath late last season - with the pair helping the club stave off relegation from the Bundesliga last term by winning a promotion/relegation play-off against Hamburg.

Fotheringham previously worked as assistant to Tomas Oral at another German outfit in Ingolstadt and helped the club to promotion to the second-tier of German football at the end of 2020-21 before both left.

On bringing in Fotheringham, head of football Leigh Bromby said: "We have explored a wide range of options in our search for our next head coach, and Mark became our first choice after our very first meeting.

"His beliefs in coaching and football fit very well with our methods at the club, and we also believe he can also add to what we do because of who he has worked for and with during his career so far.

"Mark has worked at some top clubs with some of the best coaches around. His most recent spell came last season at a big city side in Hertha Berlin under a manager who has been right at the top of the game for many successful years in Felix Magath.

"Before that, he worked under Michael Henke at Ingolstadt – a man who has won the Champions League twice as a coach. That adds to his other experience across the UK and Europe that he’s accumulated as a coach and a player since the age of 16.

"He believes in an aggressive, intense, front-foot style of play, just as we do. That was vitally important.

"The ability to lead and motivate our squad and staff was also high on the requirements for this appointment, and they are qualities that Mark exudes naturally.

"You feel it when you meet him, and that is backed up by the testimony of many big names in football who he’s worked with, both alongside him as a coach and as a player under him.

“I know that Huddersfield Town fans will get right behind Mark, the coaching staff, and the players as we work together to drive us up the Sky Bet Championship table.”

As a player, Dundee-born Fotheringham played for a host of clubs, including hometown club Dundee and Celtic, alongside German side Freiburg, Swiss outfit Aarau, Norwich City, Cypriot club Anthorthosis Famagusta and Notts County.

Fotheringham succeeds Danny Schofield, who was recently sacked after just 68 days in charge after taking just four points from a possible 24 in a tough start to the season for the club.