Everything Mark Hudson had to say in his first interview after his retirement

Huddersfield Town club captain Mark Hudson today announced his retirement from football after three season with the Terriers.

The centre-back will now move into a coaching role at Town, joining David Wagner's backroom staff as he finds his feet as a coach.

HTTV were the first to speak to the 35-year-old following his decision to retire, and here's everything he said in that interview.

What makes this the right time for you to retire?

"It's not an easy decision.

"I don't think - having played football for so long - that it comes about easily, but I think the decision has come at the right time for me: body-wise, where we've come to and obviously with the boss it all came together perfectly.

"And I'm looking forward to making the transition into coaching."

And it was great to go out on a high after winning the Championship play-off final...

"I couldn't have asked for anything better to finish on such a high, to be involved with the club, to get promoted to the Premier League from where we've come from - it was just the pinnacle.

"I'm glad to leave it on such a high."

It must be emotional now to look back on lifting the trophy and thinking 'that's how I ended my career'...

"I've never wanted to filter down the leagues - that's not something I wanted to do as an ambitious person.

"I wanted to finish as high as I could and to be able to lift that trophy at Wembley and finish with that is unbelievable for me and it will be a proud day to look back on."

How does your time at Town rank in your career?

"I've got to give thanks to the chairman for bringing me here.

"Something that we looked at three years ago when we had our first conversation was the ambition and where he wanted to take the club and what he wanted to bring from me and what I could bring to the club on the pitch and off the pitch.

"I think I've delivered that. We've been promoted and we're in the top league.

"It's an opportunity for me now - again from the chairman and from the boss - to be a part and parcel of the club going forward.

"I've got to say thanks for that and I'm looking forward to it."

Is coaching something you've though about going in to previously?

"I think in my late 20s it wasn't something that was in my mind really.

"As you progress as a player, the older you get, the more you learn from managers and it became more and more evident as I got into my 30s that I definitely wanted to stay in the game and try and give back some of the stuff that I've learned.

"I feel like I've got a lot to give back. People have given me so much knowledge and styles of play and working with the boss now - he's been fantastic and I've learned so much from him over a short period of time.

"I can continue to learn from him which is great and I'm looking forward to transitioning into that and try and give back something that people have given to me."

Once you've made that decision while you're playing, doing you look at the techniques coaches use differently?

"I've had quite a few managers but you pick up a lot from all of them and you've got to take the best bits and look at the bad bits as well.

"I've hopefully picked up a lot of good habits and I probably wouldn't have done this if it wasn't for the boss right now and the opportunity to work with him - like I said, I've learned so much in this last two years with him and I just thought it was perfect.

"His style of play, the way he is, the detail that we use - that's something that I want to come across in my coaching and management in the future.

"It's a great blend I can put together and create my own style."

Were David Wagner's methods a big reason for you making the step into coaching?

"I can't praise him enough.

"The level of detail, the sessions he puts on and what goes on behind the scenes - he's second to none.

"He prides himself on that and so he should - he got us to where we are now.

"To learn from him is a fantastic opportunity and I couldn't turn it down. It was never second-guessed, there was never a second thought - when I got the opportunity it was something I wanted to do.

"Long may it continue."

How have you found the transition into coaching?

"There's a lot to do.

"Pre-season is hard in itself anyway, but I feel like I've taken everything on board.

"There's lots to learn on the coaching side of things and working with Christoph [Buhler] is great and I've got a lot to learn from him.

"The details and stuff like that - he's massive on that.

"And then joining in the training and being a player for a bit is good - I've enjoyed that but I knew what was to come.

"In my mind it was just to make sure I live up to certain expectations on the pitch as well because I didn't want to go out and not do myself justice so I did that.

"But now I can really focus on the transition."

Did being able to play and coach at the same time help the transition?

"It was a suggestion from the boss to train as well and not just to leave it as a player because it's not good for the body or the mind.

"I was aware of that and want to keep myself fit and being able to do that with the new boys as well and helping them integrate and be a part and parcel of both sides - with the new staff as well.

"The boss sort of asked me just to help with that progression with players and staff coming in which I think I can do quite well.

"It's worked."

What kind of things have you done in the sessions so far?

"It's a lot of learning behind the scenes at the moment in terms of taking sessions.

"My office desk is with the boss and Christoph and Hughesy and there's a lot to learn from them in the mornings - how they plan sessions and how they go out and set up sessions and the timings of things.

"It's a lot of that going on at the moment - I'm just trying to pick up as much as I can.

"I haven't taken any sessions - I've been involved in them being a server and stuff like that and being aware of how things work because it's totally different when you're a player to being a coach.

"There's lots to learn and it's not something I'll learn overnight and you continue to learn and I'll continue to learn through my coaching and management career in the future.

"I don't think you can ever stop learning and picking up things, so I'll try and keep doing that for now."

You've had Premier League experience as well - how will that help the team going forward?

"We've talked about that.

"We talk most mornings and during the day about questions and about how I think things are set up, how I think teams play and what I think the difference is between the Premier League and the Championship and if I can add to the boss' experience and help - even if it's a small percentage - then great.

"I'm always here to help."

And will that help the players who don't have a wealth of Premier League experience?

"I don't think that's something to be worried about in my eyes.

"I think it's good that we've always had this underdog spirit and going in to this league I'm sure we'll have that again.

"It's about togetherness and the players have got that - whether we've got experience behind the scenes or in the people on the pitch, I think we can all come together and have a great season."

How have the lads reacted to the news?

"A few off them were surprised the first day.

"Obviously I was wearing the black kit and I had my name instead of a number - there were a few looks but I don't think it was too much of a surprise because I think they maybe saw that coming because of the kind of person I am and the sort of ambition I had to stay in football.

"A few smiley faces and a little bit of grief here and there but it's nothing I can't handle!"

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision as well?

"I was given the opportunity through the summer to think about it so I was thankful for that and it gave me the chance to sit down with family and friends and they said 'that's where we see you anyway'.

"It was never something I thought about too long - I was in communication with the boss throughout the summer so I'm just looking forward to learning from him and moving forward."

How do you see the steps going forwards from here?

"I've got a lot of stuff to learn like how to plan sessions.

"I'm currently on my A license with the Welsh FA so I have blocks to do in the summer with them and I've got lots of stuff like paperwork behind the scenes to get done as well.

"Lots of analysis to work out - but it's just about trying to pick up as much as I can.

"And that's what the idea is from the boss - is to give me a chance to use the 18s if I need to, be part of the 23s if I need to, go on some scouting missions if I need to - so to be able to see an overview of everything and how the club works is one of those opportunities you can't turn down.

"[I've got] lots to learn, lots to pick up and I hope I can do that."