Why David Wagner went down inexperienced route

Thumbs up: Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner gestures to the fans after the Premier League draw at Turf Moor, Burnley.

HEAD COACH David Wagner believes Huddersfield Town's focus on signing 'fearless' players in the summer rather than those with previous Premier League experience has been a key factor in the club adapting quickly among the elite.

The Terriers have taken nine points from their opening half-dozen games and are in the top half of the fledgling table.

With only Tom Ince of the players on duty at Crystal Palace on the opening day having previously played in the top flight, Huddersfield were tipped to struggle, but Wagner believes that lack of experience has proved to be a big positive.

“Everyone, especially everyone in England, is speaking about experience and how important experience is,” said the 45-year-old. “But I look at it from the flip side of the coin.

“I think sometimes inexperience can help you. You are fearless, you know nothing about what is in front of you and then you only take it. This was exactly what our decision was (when recruiting last summer).

“We said, ‘Okay, let us take the fearless, very exciting players with no experience, but who are hungry and greedy’. This is what you have if you have no experience. This is what we have seen so far.”

Wagner, who revealed Rajiv van La Parra will be hit with the usual fine for yellow cards after being booked for diving, added: “One reason (for not signing players with Premier League experience) is we cannot buy them because we don’t have enough money.

“But I am sure even if we were able to pay it, how many of them would we take? I wanted hungry, greedy ones.”