Sean Scannell is determined to repay the faith of manager Chris Powell after signing a new Huddersfield Town contract.
The 24-year-old winger, who might have joined Championship rivals Millwall during the August transfer window, described the September appointment of the former Charlton Athletic boss as “the best thing that could have happened”.
Powell has given the former Crystal Palace man a string of starts (he made his 13th of the season in Saturday’s goalless home draw with Sheffield Wednesday).
And Scannell, who was signed on a three-year deal in 2012, has responded by hitting a rich vein of form, clinching a contract through to 2017, with the club have the option of adding a further year.
“I’m really happy with the new deal. Now I need to push on,” said the Croydon-born player who is settled in the Holme Valley.
“You only get a new contract when you deserve it. I feel I’ve being doing well lately, and it’s great the club want me to stay.
“It’s funny to think that a few months ago, people were saying I was going to Millwall, but now I’m here until at least 2017.”
Scannell added: “The gaffer has been great with me. I’ve already started more games than in the whole of last season.
“I’m really enjoying my football, but I know I have to stay as fit as I can and keep producing. And I’d also like to get a few goals.”
Powell and his players are now preparing for Saturday’s trip to Bolton Wanderers after the Wednesday stalemate lifted them to 14th.
“We can go there and win, and we could easily have won on Saturday,” said Scannell.
“We had some good chances, and on another day we’d have put one of them in.”
Powell, who gave a debut to on-loan West Ham United midfielder Diego Poyet, will today run checks on both his senior keepers Alex Smithies and Joe Murphy.
Smithies’ back injury, picked up in training last week but kept quiet during the derby build-up, meant a Town league bow for 33-year-old Murphy.
But the former Scunthorpe United man picked up shoulder and hand problems during clashes with Wednesday striker Stevie May.
