Steve Thompson's appointment as Huddersfield Town’s new assistant manager was sealed over a cup of tea, and he will have a similarly no-frills approach to the job.

The 49-year-old Lancastrian – he comes from just over the tops in Oldham – has 20 years’ experience as a player and 10 as a coach.

Well respected throughout the game, Thompson made more than 600 appearances as a midfielder for Bolton, Luton, Leicester, Burnley, Rotherham and Halifax.

He ended his career with Leigh RMI before moving into coaching at Blackpool, initially in the academy, then as assistant to Simon Grayson, Ian Holloway, Michael Appleton and Paul Ince.

Thompson played a key role in Pool’s promotions from League I in 2007 and the Championship in 2010, and says there is no real why Town can’t take the same step.

“The Premier League is one of the best in the world, and it was a fantastic experience to work at that level,” he explained.

“Getting there in the first place was a great achievement, and to tot up 39 points against the country’s top teams certainly wasn’t too shabby. We didn’t really deserve to be relegated.

There are a lot of similarities between Blackpool and Huddersfield, and while I’m not going to make rash predictions, of course we are aiming to get promotion.

“There is potential here without a doubt. We have a supportive chairman, a fine academy and development system and some very able players.

“I’ve been to the stadium plenty of times, and I was hugely impressed with the training ground when Mark showed me around.

“He and I go back a long way, to when we were teammates at Leicester, and we have bumped into each other lots of times over the years.

“When he decided on making changes to the management staff, Mark invited me over and we had a good chat over a cup of tea.

“We soon found we share the same philosophy in his we think the game should be played, and how a club like this can be taken forward.

I’m delighted to be in board and be able to use my experience, particularly of the Championship, to help Mark in any way I can.

“I’m a big believer in playing a system – or systems, because it’s important to be flexible – which suits the players at your disposal, and I also know the importance of a good team spirit.

I am keen on bringing through young players, but you need experience as well, and with the squad additions Mark has in mind, I think we will have a nice balance.

“We need to be more consistent, and that is something we will be working on from day one of pre-season, which for me, can’t come quickly enough.”

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