Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City: Matty Pearson fronts up and takes one for the team - and others must follow in do-or-die Championship clash

Most players at clubs in such a grim predicament would not have fancied it, in truth, let’s be honest. And that’s not unique to Huddersfield either.

Proper professionals who care front up and that explains why it was no surprise that Matty Pearson made an appearance ahead of Saturday’s do-or-die game.

In fairness, the likes of Michal Helik, Lee Nicholls and Tom Lees have also spoken in recent weeks, while Jonathan Hogg is injured.

Pearson also addressed the press not so long back. He took it upon himself to do it again.

His comments were straight-talking and came from the heart as you would expect from someone who has worked for everything he has got in the game and done the hard yards at the likes of FC Halifax and Accrington after rejection as a teenager at Blackburn and Rochdale.

He also took one for the team, which is what every manjack of the Terriers’ line-up must do today - and also hopefully in a week’s time at Ipswich - if they are to somehow salvage their Championship tenure following a mess of a season in truth.

Last Saturday was certainly a mess and a dishevelled one at that following a late captivation at home to Swansea.

Some players clocked off and flew solo. It was an occasion where Pearson was not immune on the mistakes front, but did not stop running and grafting.

You sense when Andre Breitenreiter spoke after the game and before this latest one about the need for some players to summon up the will from inside to give their all and apply themselves consistently in training and on a match-day, then Pearson was not one who he was talking about.

He said: "From this situation, as long as I - and we - give everything we’ve got and fight, the outcome is the outcome.

"As long as you have no regrets, I am happy and content. I am going to fight and give everything and hopefully we come out on top.

"It’s difficult, isn’t it. It’s not in our hands, but it soon can be. If we focus on ourselves and make sure we get the win, it can change and be put back into our hands. That’s what my thinking is.

"It’s probably one of the biggest games of my career. It’s a big game for everyone at the club, that’s all I can say really. A massive game.”

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When he last spoke to the media, Pearson stressed that he was not one for chat at this time of year, as someone who takes his profession seriously and is really driven by deeds and not words at the business ends of seasons.

It makes his decision to front up even more commendable in what will have been a hard week after those torrid events last Saturday.

It’s tough for such dedicated professionals to switch off when at home as well, but you crack on.

He added: "It’s the usual. Getting yourself out of the house and playing with the kids. All those sorts of things.

"It’s one of those where you try and keep busy and take your mind off it."

Pearson does, at least, have personal experience of being in the thick of a Championship relegation battle and surviving to look back on and not just in last season’s ‘Great Escape’ either.

Town’s current predicament also bears similarities to his time at Luton in 2019-20, when the Hatters stayed up by the skin of their teeth on the final day.

How Pearson’s current club could do with some of that.

He added: “I remember playing Blackburn on the last game of the season and we had to win. It’s a similar situation going into our games and having to win.

"In that season, we didn’t have it in our hands the whole time and were going through periods where if certain teams won, it would have put it out of reach.

"Thankfully, we kept fighting and managed to get it back and it came down to the last game where we got the win.”

On hope in the here and now, he looks to a team in blue and white not so far away, ironically one who Town are currently jousting with.

Pearson continued: “You look at Sheffield Wednesday, for example. Everybody wrote them off a few months ago and they have kept fighting and kept going.

"You look at teams like that and the Luton team I was in who were fighting to the end and that’s the mentality we must have.

"I keep in contact with (ex-Luton captain) Sonny Bradley and he’s doing well at Derby who look to be on the verge of going up and I speak to Luke Berry who has reached the Premier League and I am made up for him.

"I’ve not had many messages (from ex-team-mates) this week, but I prefer that and not talking about it as I know myself it was not acceptable (last week).

"It does ruin your weekend and week, but it’s part and parcel of football. You get setbacks. It’s how you react, come Saturday.”