HIS season began in front of 596 fans and a hedge at Brechin – now Kallum Higginbotham is hoping to end it at Wembley.

It’s been quite a campaign for the 22-year-old former Falkirk frontman, who made a bright return from his loan spell at Barnsley as Town drew 1-1 with Walsall last weekend.

Falkirk’s 2-1 win at Brechin, whose Glebe Park ground has a hedge all the way up one touchline side, kicked off a Scottish League Cup run which took the Bairns all the way to the semi-finals.

Then Town boss Lee Clark took in the Hampden showdown with Celtic – and within days snapped up both Higginbotham and his teammate Murray Wallace.

While teenage centre-back Wallace will join up with Town this summer after being loaned back to Falkirk, one-time Rochdale player Higginbotham headed South straight away after signing a two-and-a-half year deal.

But just a fortnight, and one appearance, after joining, Clark and Town parted company, and after one outing as a substitute under Simon Grayson, the Salford-born star was loaned out.

“When the gaffer first arrived, Jordan Rhodes, Lee Novak and Alan Lee were all playing well,” explained Higginbotham, who linked up with Keith Hill, his former Rochdale boss, at Barnsley.

“I had only just been signed and my chances were likely to be limited, so when the loan option came up, the gaffer and I agreed it would be worth me getting some games.”

Higginbotham made two starts and three appearances from the bench in the Championship for Barnsley before being recalled nine days ago.

“I’d just arrived for training when Keith Hill pulled me in and said Simon Grayson had been on the phone saying Huddersfield wanted me back,” he added.

“It was good to hear because it meant the manager must have seen something good in my games for Barnsley.

“The intention always was that I would come back and push for a place here at Huddersfield, and to get a start down at Walsall was great.

“I was happy with my first-half performance, not quite so pleased with the second half, when we didn’t do as well as a team.

“I thought we were all over them up to half-time, and could have been two or three rather than one up.

“But we didn’t come out of the blocks in the second half and let them get back into it, which was disappointing.

“From my point of view, it was a starting point, and I’d love to get another chance against Yeovil today and then push on to be involved for inclusion in the play-offs.