David Wagner In Line For Stunning Huddersfield Return After Liam Manning Exit

Huddersfield Town are lining up a potential return of their former boss David Wagner, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

The SkyBet League One outfit are in need of a new manager this summer after confirming the departure of Liam Manning for personal reasons.

The former Bristol City and Norwich chief took compassionate leave on March 25 with coaches Martin Drury and Jon Stead taking over until the end of last season.

Huddersfield finished ninth after threatening to make the play-offs and see the recruitment of German Wagner, 54, as the man to get them challenging next term.

Out of mainstream work since his sacking at Norwich City in May 2024, Wagner is a fans’ favourite at the West Yorkshire club. And with good reason.

Against the odds he guided them into the Premier League in 2017. A Championship play-off final, penalty shoot-out victory over Jaap Stam’s Reading took Town back into the top flight for the first time since 1972.

FAIRYTALE PROMOTION

They did so on a budget believed to be around £12 million. Wagner, who described that achievement as “a fairytale,” guided them from 19th when he took over from Chris Powell in November 2015 to fifth the following season and the ultimate Wembley triumph.

The former Borussia Dortmund reserve boss then kept Huddersfield in the division the following season before relegation at the end of the 2018-2019 campaign when he left by mutual consent.

Wagner, a close friend of ex Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, then had spells of varying degrees of success at Bundesliga outfit Schalke and Swiss side Young Boys before accepting an appointment at Carrow Road in January 2023.

However, he couldn’t repeat his Huddersfield heroics with the Canaries. He did guide the East Anglian outfit to the Championship play-off semi-finals in 2024 but a 4-0 defeat by Leeds United saw him leave shortly after.