ANDY BOOTH will hang up his boots at the end of the season.
But the Town legend will remain at the club in a new ambassador role.
The 35-year-old striker’s decision to call time on his career will add an extra dimension to Saturday’s final home game of the League I campaign against Brighton.
Town are calling the clash the ‘Andy Booth tribute match’ and merchandise is on sale at their stadium and stores.
Huddersfield-born Booth, whose two goals in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Walsall took his Town tally to 148, also has the trip to Leyton Orient on Saturday week in which to try and reach the magical 150 milestone.
The third-highest scorer in Town’s history behind George Brown (159) and Jimmy Glazzard (154), Booth bagged a further 34 in his five-season stint at Sheffield Wednesday.
He has made 450 Town appearances (the fourth highest figure in the club’s history) and 608 in all in a career which also includes a loan stint at Spurs.
But he will always be most closely associated with Town, who received £2.7m when he moved to Wednesday in July 1996 and paid £200,000 to bring him back in March 2001.
It proved to be a masterstroke, because the talismanic frontman has scored more times in his second spell (85) than his first (63).
He also added a League II play-off triumph (in 2004) to that from League I (in 1995, when he scored in the 2-1 Wembley win over Bristol Rovers).
Booth, who won three England Under 21 caps and represented the Football League during his first spell at Town, would love to have marked Town’s centenary by helping the club to another promotion.
But the man whose playing registration will be retained in case of emergency, is optimistic about the future.
“It’s an exciting time for the club, because I’m sure that under (incoming chairman) Dean Hoyle and (manager) Lee Clark, we will go forward,” he said.
“It’s fantastic to think I can be a part of that, albeit in a different kind of role.
“I’ll be working on the commercial and marketing side, and also trying to develop links with the community, and it’s a new challenge I’m looking forward to.
“My career has been fantastic and I’ve made some great friends, but I feel the time is right to move on.
“Being part of the centenary season was a big thing for me, but in the back of my mind, I thought I would be retiring at the end of it.
“I had to have back surgery midway through, so that cost me quite a few games, but my target was to figure in the last 10 or so games, and I’ve managed that.
“It would be lovely to get a couple more goals and make 150, but helping the team continue this winning run is the main thing.”
Andy Holdsworth will figure as Town reserves go to Grimsby tonight (7.00) seeking the win they need to keep their totesport.com League East Division title hopes alive.
See below and pay your tribute to Huddersfield Town legend Andy Booth.
