A NORTHERN Ireland midfielder signed from Manchester United will have a familiar ring for long-standing Huddersfield Town fans.

And they’ll be more than happy if Oliver Norwood can make the same kind of impact at Town as Jimmy Nicholson.

Belfast-born and capped by his country at 17, Nicholson joined United in 1958 and made his first-team debut at Everton in 1960.

It was the first of 68 appearances for the Red Devils, but by December 1964, his career was drifting and he couldn’t even make the reserves.

That was when Town manager Tom Johnston, alerted by chief coach Ian Greaves, a former United player, made his move.

It proved to be £7,500 very well spent.

There was an inauspicious start as Nicholson scored on own goal on his debut at Ipswich, where Town lost the Second Division (now Championship) clash 3-2.

But spurred on by Greaves, who was to become manager in 1968, Nicholson was soon back to his best – and back in the Northern Ireland team.

He was to make 31 of his 41 full international appearances during a Town career which lasted until December 1973.

A wing-half under the old system, Nicholson developed into a skilful and busy midfielder with an eye for goal (he scored 28 times in 310 Town games).

After coming close to promotion under Johnston in 1965-66, Town finally clinched a top-flight return in 1969-70, when Nicholson skippered the Greaves-led side which won the Division II title.

Nicholson, by now 27, was one of seven ever-presents (alongside keeper Terry Poole, Dennis Clarke, Geoff Hutt, Roy Ellam, Trevor Cherry, Jimmy McGill and Frank Worthington).

Town’s First Division stay lasted two seasons, and the club had been relegated to the Third (now League I) by the time Nicholson left for Bury.

He helped the Shakers win promotion from Division Four that season and remained until 1976, later playing for Mossley and Stalybridge and becoming a sports centre manager.

Next page: Oliver Norwood on choosing to play for Northern Ireland

OLIVER NORWOOD has no regrets about choosing Northern Ireland.

The Lancastrian midfielder, who qualifies to wear the green through his paternal grandparents, made three appearances for England Under 17s before switching allegiance.

The first time he featured for Ireland was in the B international clash with Scotland, who won 3-0 at Clyde FC’s Broadwood Stadium in May 2009.

The Scotland side included Norwood’s new Town teammate Scott Arfield.

The first of Norwood’s 11 Under 21 caps (four goals) followed three months later while in May 2010, he represented Northern Ireland in the European Under 19 Championships, scoring three times in as many appearances.

A senior debut came in the 2-0 friendly defeat away to Montenegro in August 2010.

And he will hope for a seventh cap against Finland at Belfast’s Windsor Park on Wednesday, August 15.

That game is in preparation for a 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign which brings home and away matches against Azerbaijan, Israel, Luxembourg, Poland and Russia.

“My Manchester United teammate Jonny Evans (pictured left) persuaded me to give Northern Ireland a go and I’ve never regretted it,” he said.