Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner celebrates two years in charge of the Terriers this week, with his side handing him the perfect anniversary present of three points at the weekend.

When Wagner took over at the John Smith's Stadium, Town were 19th in the Championship - just two points clear of the relegation zone and winless in four matches.

But the German boss turned the Terriers fortunes around and within 18 short months had guided the perennial strugglers into the top filght of English football.

Here we look over the highlights of Wagner's time with Town through his own quotes...

Video Loading

David Wagner... in his first press conference

Wagner joined as head coach on November 5, 2015 as a relative unknown from Borussia Dortmund.

The boss faced the media for the first time four days later.

Here's what he had to say...

"I prefer passion in the game, I like speed, I like to score goals.

"Everybody knows the full throttle football that we try to create.

"This is exactly what we like to do and what we like to play.

"In Germany it is called gegenpressing - I'm not sure of the word in English!

"What we try to do is have speed in our game and work hard for this, because I am sure to do this you need fitness.

"I know this is possible at each level."

David Wagner... after his first Town match

The head coach took charge of his first match on November 21 against Sheffield Wednesday.

Town were beaten 3-1 by the Owls at Hillsborough, but Wagner saw positives in the Town performance...

"There are a lot of things we can work with. It was a good game for our experience and to find some good and bad things that we have to work on. We spoke at the beginning about needing time, but I think this was a first step.

"We now have new information on how everybody reacts in a game, with the crowd and a bit more pressure. It is different to the training pitch. In my opinion we saw a lot of good things, but also things we have to work on.

"We like work! This is our job and what we do. The team has done that before today and will do it in the future, for sure."

David Wagner... on his first Town win

Another defeat to Middlesbrough followed for Town, but Wagner was handed a first win in English football in his third match, with the Terriers beating Birmingham City 2-0 at St Andrews.

After the match, the head coach said...

"It was the perfect performance.

"We started as we finished the previous game and this is a good sign.

"To be honest, I expected a good game. We are very happy and proud about our performance and the result.

"I am pleased with the performance of the squad and we made a perfect start with such a quick goal.

"Birmingham are quite a good team, but we defended well to keep a clean sheet."

David Wagner... on his first victory over Leeds United

In March 2016, the boss got his first taste of a West Yorkshire derby - one he would become accustomed to in his time in charge of Town.

The Terriers won 4-1 at Elland Road in a memorable victory for the Town faithful.

After the match he said...

"We have been able to make a lot of people in Huddersfield very happy.

"We knew this was a massive game for all the Huddersfield supporters. We knew we had to repair and correct the 3-0.

"This was a fantastic day. A brilliant three points, a massive three points, but I think we have played better games.

"We were very clinical. We always moan that we are not clinical enough but the story of this game was something special. We missed the penalty, conceded a goal, but in the second half we were too quick and closed them down well."

Video Loading

David Wagner... on THAT clash with Garry Monk

A year later, Town had beaten Leeds for the third time under Wagner - this time at the John Smith's Stadium - thanks to a dramatic late goal from fan favourite Michael Hefele.

Both teams were in the play-off hunt at the time, adding spice to an already fierce derby, and tempers were sent sky-rocketing after the head coach and Leeds boss Garry Monk collided on the touchline after Town's winner.

On the incident, Wagner explained...

"I celebrated with my players then jogged back to my technical area. Garry tried to nudge me, something I think is not okay. I wanted to speak with him but it was not possible in this moment. Then there were a lot of people around us and we both had to go to the stand.

"For me celebrating with players is not a problem. It's not something I usually do. But sometimes it happens. If there was a moment it could happen, it was in a game like this.

"I understand it is a different culture between here and Germany and it seems to be disrespectful if I celebrate with my players. It is different in Germany but I have to accept this."

David Wagner... on making the Championship play-offs

Huddersfield Town secured their spot in the 2016/17 Championship play-off semi-finals with victory over Wolves at Molineux on April 25.

Wagner hailed the extraordinary night in the midlands and set about planning the Terriers' play-off push.

After the match, he said...

"This was a very special night, an extraordinary night.

"We finally have the play-off spot and the whole football club has worked unbelievably hard to achieve it this season.

"And to do it with two games left is unbelievable – especially when you consider our starting point.

“As Huddersfield Town we do not have the best starting point - I read that (Chelsea manager) Antonio Conte said money does not win titles and that counts in the Championship as well.

"So it makes what the players have achieved even greater in the season so far.

"I have only been at the club for one and a half years but I have heard from the people who supported the club for many years they were desperate for something extraordinary.

“So I am happy for the chairman and everyone connect to this football club.

“The players and the backroom staff have worked so hard to make this happen.

“It is the biggest achievement in the last 45 years and I am absolutely proud the players got over the line.

"Now our journey marches on into the play-offs and we will try to make something very big out of it."

Video Loading

David Wagner... on making it to Wembley

Town took on Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off semi-final and - after being inseparable for 210 minutes - the tie went to penalties.

Danny Ward was the hero as he saved Fernando Forestieri's crucial final kick to book Town's spot at Wembley.

An elated Wagner said after the game...

"I joked in the pre-match press conference that Germans are able to take penalty shoot-outs but to be fair we had a Welsh goalkeeper - this is the first step for the British!

"We are very proud and even in Germany we know about Wembley - maybe with the Maracana in Rio it is the highest place you can go to play a football match and now we are there.

"To reach the final in the time that I've been the manager it is the biggest achievement so far.

"Most pundits said before the season we would be in relegation trouble or maybe get relegated, and now we are only one step away from the Premier League.

"This shows what an achievement it is for this low-budget club - the small dog, the small terrier but they have character and belief and trust in what they do."

David Wagner... on guiding Town to the Premier League

Town beat Reading on penalties in the final to book a spot in the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Ward again made a crucial save from the spot before Christopher Schindler stepped up and wrote his name into Huddersfield Town legend.

After the final, an emotional Wagner said...

"I said to the players you are heroes. But from hero to zero in football is only a week. You have the opportunity to become legends. They are legends now for sure.

"The last time this club was in the top flight was 45 years ago. It’s a big, big achievement. I’m so proud of my players. Everybody will remind everybody of what this group has done.

"The chairman (Dean Hoyle) backed all of my ideas, even when he thought it was ridiculous. We said no limits. Now we know where our limit is – in the Premier League."

Video Loading

David Wagner... in his first Premier League press conference

Once the dust had settled after the Wembley win, Town got down to business and brought in a number of signings to strengthen for the Premier League campaign.

Arguably the most important deal done over the summer was the one which tied Wagner down to a new Terriers contract, which would run until at least 2019.

When Wagner signed his contract, he previewed the Terriers' first top-flight campaign for 45 years...

"We’re not stupid. We’re probably the biggest underdog ever to start in the Premier League.

"We know this. Does it change that we are ambitious? Nope. We are not in the Premier League to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ after one season. We want to stay there."

He added: I've always had the feeling in the last 18 months that I have an owner on my side, who really trusts and believes in all my decisions, even if he sometimes doesn't understand my decisions.

"We started a journey, we said this 18 months ago, and we're still on this journey so we're able to open a new chapter now for this football club."

David Wagner... on Town's first Premier League win against Crystal Palace

Wagner masterminded a 3-0 victory over a lacklustre Crystal Palace in the Terriers' first Premier League outing, sending them to the top of the league overnight.

The boss was pleased with result, but didn't get too carried away after the match...

"We showed the right team spirit, the right togetherness, and we were very aggressive.

"We deserved the win. Maybe the win was too high when you consider how many chances Crystal Palace had, but we take the three points and continue.

"I have always said that we will only be competitive if we stick to our identity. Everyone knows how strong Crystal Palace's offence is and you have to make sure they are as far away from your goal as possible, so it makes sense to press high. It worked for long periods of the game, and I think that is one of the reasons we have got this result today.

"We showed great determination, even when Palace were having some opportunities. We stuck to our game plan, kept them away from our goal.

"It was a very good start. You cannot moan about it; playing your first Premier League game, your first at this level in 45 years and you win 3-0 against Crystal Palace. I will not moan."

Video Loading

David Wagner... on the victory over Manchester United

The biggest win of Town's short Premier League career came over Jose Mourinho's Manchester United last month, with the Terriers claiming a famous 2-1 victory over the giants of English football.

Wagner described the win as one of the proudest moments in his career, and put the victory straight into his top three moments of his Town tenure.

After the match he said...

"I said to the players that I wouldn’t expect a result, but that I can believe in a result.

"That is why it so huge for us. It’s a very proud moment, that we were able to beat Manchester United at home.

"In one game you can have a chance. If there is a chance, try to catch it. Today was our moment because we were at our best and maybe they weren’t. It is one of the proudest moments in my career. It makes me very happy.

"I haven’t thought about why Manchester United weren’t at their best. They have played a lot of games and they had injury problems. It could be they are not at their freshest, but we didn’t think about that.

"If this is our moment, we have to grab it, which is what the players did. Small Huddersfield have beaten Man United and it one of the proudest moments in my managerial career.

"It’s another chapter in the fairytale we started nearly two years ago. It has shown everything is possible in football. Today was our moment. It makes everyone very happy and very proud."