Huddersfield Town Academy graduate Tom Clarke is looking forward to a Boxing Day reunion.

The defender is set to return to the John Smith's Stadium with Preston North End on Saturday for what will be his first visit since leaving the club in 2013.

His departure for Deepdale ended an 18 year association with the Terriers after joining at the age of eight, and Clarke admitted he has been eagerly awaiting this opportunity since Preston were promoted last summer.

He revealed: "It's one of the first games I looked for when the fixtures came out and it's one that I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces and going back to a place where I spent a lot of time.

"It's a place that is very close to the family, I've got a lot of friends that are still there and behind the scenes working there so it's a team that I always look out for and it's somewhere I'm looking forward to going back to."

Great to see Tom Clarke doing so well as captain at Preston, who take on United tonight

The former Town man has the opportunity to spend some extra time with his nearest and dearest this Christmas - PNE have been given the day itself off.

But Clarke warned Huddersfield shouldn't think that will mean a ring rusty set of players the following afternoon.

"We've been given Christmas Day off which is something we are very grateful for, that we've been given that responsibility to spend it at home," added the 28-year-old.

"We've got a good group of lads here and a lot have got young families so it will be nice for them to be at home and opening the presents with the kids.

"But we all know, as we've shown in the past, we know how to prepare for the game so we will be ready."

The Lilywhites will be able to call on the services of keeper Jordan Pickford, currently on loan from Sunderland, after his appeal for wrongful dismissal against Leeds was upheld.

Pickford was sent off after the referee deemed he had handled the ball outside his area and had in the process denied a goalscoring opportunity.

Clarke wasn't far from the incident and believes justice has been done - although the decision played a big part in PNE's eventual 1-0 defeat to Steve Evans' Leeds.

“The referee initially got the yellow card out and we all turned away," he explained.

“Then someone has spoken in his ear to say it was a red and he has gone with their word.

“It is still disappointing because Jordan being sent off spoilt the game."