FORMER Huddersfield Town player Kieran O’Regan says Town already have a lot of quality in the squad as they begin planning for life in the Championship.

The respected pundit and ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder (pictured) – who played 199 games for the Leeds Road club – firmly believes Town are now back where they belong.

And he feels young stars such as Wembley heroes Alex Smithies, Jack Hunt, Calum Woods, Jordan Rhodes, Lee Novak and Danny Ward – plus others – can prosper at Championship level.

“Wembley was a great occasion and a great result for everyone associated with Huddersfield Town,” said O’Regan, who was part of BBC Radio Leeds’ commentary team along with Paul Ogden, new sports editor Gareth Jones and Adam Pope.

“We all felt the other side of it over at Old Trafford last year when everybody expected us to go up and the players and supporters ended up distraught.

“It’s great for them that it turned out so brilliantly this time, because no-one wanted to go through that again and no-one wanted to see Peter Clarke in floods of tears and struggling with his emotions.

“I see he’s described Saturday as the very top highlight of his career and that’s wonderful for Peter, who always wears his heart on his sleeve and gives it absolutely everything for the team.

“He’ll be ready for the Championship and I think we’ve got a good bunch of lads in the squad.

“They have got a lot of quality about them. I’m not saying we always see it on a weekly basis, but I’ll tell you what, they’ve got a lot of talent.”

While Smithies took the glory at Wembley with two saves in the shoot-out and the decisive kick before Steve Simonsen missed for Sheffield United, O’Regan believes Town owe a massive debt of thanks to 40-year-old keeper Ian Bennett.

“What a fantastic keeper Ian Bennett is and he’s been outstanding all season – so what a brilliant call from him to say he wasn’t fit enough to play at Wembley,” said O’Regan, who played in Town’s first play-off campaign of 1991-92, when they lost out to Peterborough in the semi-finals.

“That must have been very tough, but by doing it so early he gave Alex the proper time to be able to prepare and to know that he was definitely playing (Nick Colgan was the keeper on the bench).

“And Alex Smithies is quality, no doubt about it. I don’t think we give him enough credit for how good he is, he is a young lad just back from a horrible injury and he has great ability.

“I just knew when it came to the penalty shoot-out that Alex was going to produce something – and he did.

“You have to have sympathy with Steve Simonsen because, in the match, he made some terrific saves from Peter Clarke and Alan Lee and, for it to come down to him was really cruel.

“But Alex kept his nerve and did the business and I think Town probably deserved it anyway having created the better chances in the game.

“I didn’t think it was going to work out that way when we missed the first three penalties, but it was incredible to win promotion in the way that we did and I’m so delighted for Dean Hoyle, because he has been vindicated in the decisions he has made, he has been very loyal to the club and done an awful lot for the place and it’s fantastic for him to now be planning for a great season in the Championship.”

O’Regan says the feelgood factor will last all summer and supporters can’t wait for the fixtures to be announced on Monday, June 18 – or for the Championship season to start on August 18.

“It means everything to the club and to the town, because the whole community and local business will benefit as well,” he explained.

“The football will be in an exciting division and the attendances from home fans and those travelling from away will be bigger – and Town belong in the Championship, no doubt.

“We’ve said all weekend that people would much rather be going to Wolverhampton than Walsall and Middlesbrough instead of Hartlepool, and you can go all around the country making similar choices between League I and the Championship.

“The supporters showed how much it means to them by turning up in their numbers like they did at Wembley.

“They gave magnificent support up and down the country all last season and for them to have their day in the sun at Wembley – and to see their team lift the trophy – was just brilliant.

“It’s not easy for people and families when times are economically tough, because it’s expensive to go to places like Wembley, but they have shown their commitment all season and been outstanding really. This is fantastic for them.”