There’s one position in the squad that might seem a bit thin, and that’s at right-back. Obviously you’ve brought in Lee Peltier, but do you see Tom Clarke being possible back-up here, or do we have any academy players who could fill the role?
Tom Clarke is a very assured player, as he showed against Coventry, so he could certainly be a challenger for that position, never mind just being cover. Lee knows he has competition for that right-back spot, because I have faith that Tom can re-produce the form he showed on Saturday.

Just a bit about the academy now, what kind of contribution do you see this making short- and long-term? Some managers have relied very heavily on it, yet some have discarded it completely, so do you think that there is a need to find a healthy balance?
I think the academy is vital – it’s massive for the club. You only have to look at the success of Manchester United with the players they bring through the academy, so if it’s good enough for them then it should be good enough for everyone else. What we are now looking to do is improve quality across the board, from first-team to the academy, especially if we are going to go where we want to. One of the things I have in my vision for this club is to have a shared training ground with the academy so the first-team staff can take part in discussions with academy staff about all players at the club. At this moment in time, it is difficult due to the separate training grounds, so I don’t get to see the academy lads as often as I would like but hopefully that will change sooner rather than later.

Are there any academy players in particular that you’re keeping a keen eye on at the moment, who are maybe ready to make that move to the first-team squad?
We’ve been using quite a few academy lads in the two friendlies against Gateshead and Wakefield, and also in the reserve team friendlies this pre-season, and they have all done really well. But it is important not to put too much pressure on them, so lets see how things progress in the next few weeks.

At times in the past, players have slipped through the recruitment net (namely Frazier Campbell, who was born in Huddersfield). What steps are being taken to improving recruiting youngsters at a schoolboy level?
It’s always going to be a tough call, whether they come from Huddersfield or not. At the end of the day, we are a League One club at the moment, and if young players’ heads are being turned by the likes of Man Utd then it’s going to be difficult on our part to attract them. We have to make sure we get in early for these types of player, and if bigger clubs become interested as they develop, we have to take the necessary steps to persuade them to stay at this club by building strong relationships not only with the player but with his family.

A bit more about the squad you’ve now established for the upcoming season – are there any areas in particular that you have identified as needing a bit more cover?
In this game, you can never be satisfied with what you’ve got – you’re always looking to improve.

One of the things that has plagued Town sides in the past is the inability to perform for a full ninety minutes, often throwing away three points in the last section of a match. Steve Black was brought in to improve the players both physically and psychologically, has a significant improvement been noted in this area?
The fitness of the squad is hugely superior to when we arrived here. We want to play the game at a high tempo both on and off the ball, so Steve, along with Andy Kiwomya, has developed a terrific programme for the lads to follow this season, and it’s certainly showing.

It was announced last week that Peter Clarke would be club captain for this season. Was this a difficult decision to make? Were there other candidates?
There were other candidates, without a doubt, but Peter shone out above the rest. He leads by example and is a good talker, and he is also a very intelligent player, so in the end it was quite an easy decision for me to make.

Captain Clarke was an easy decision

Just a bit more about next season and League One in particular, have you identified any potential threats yet?
There are numerous, as the league is very competitive and it’s going to be tough this year, but there’s no reason why we can’t get out of it if we maintain consistency. It has come about that The Championship is now very competitive, and this is stretching to Leagues One and Two.

What is your assessment of the new teams in the division, those relegated from The Championship and promoted from League Two?
The three that have come down all have Premiership experience, and I’ve played against them all in the top division. They have terrific facilities and stadiums, and our players will enjoy playing against them. They will be fantastic additions to League One.

Are there any away trips you’re looking forward to more than others?
No, not really. I’m looking at this season as a whole, and I can’t wait for it to start. Pre-season has been going on for a while now, so I just want to get the remaining friendlies out of the way so we can get down to the nitty-gritty.

What would you consider a success or a failure this season?
Well I don’t want to talk about the word failure, but obviously our ambition is to get out of this division as quickly as we can. We’d love to finish in the top two and do it the easy way, but if we have to go through the play-offs then we’ll do that. However, there will be ten or eleven clubs all thinking the same way, but I’m quietly confident that we have a chance.

If Town do not get promoted this season, do you have any different long-term plans, or is it simply a case of perseverance?
I do have different plans in mind, but I’m not looking that far ahead yet. This season hasn’t even started yet, so to say I’ve been looking past this year would be crazy. I do have long-term ideas of what I want to do, but you can only take it one step at a time.

One thing that we’ve seen in the game as a whole this Summer is the ridiculous amounts of money that have been changing hands – Real Madrid and Manchester City being influential in this. What do you see for the future of the game? In five or ten year’s time, will this be a regular occurrence?
You have to be a bit concerned, because as the recession has just kicked in, football players and clubs have to realise that these amounts of money aren’t going to be present throughout all levels of the game all the time.

With regards to your whole career, both as a player and a manager, what would you consider your high and low points?
The low points would definitely be the injuries. I had a couple of years of bad injuries, with a few operations and it became a very frustrating time for me. Then again I’ve also had some fantastic times in my career, such as playing for my home town club (Newcastle) and being part of, and scoring in, the 3-1 win for Fulham at Old Trafford. I’ve been very fortunate in terms of the teams I’ve played for, and the managers I’ve played under, but the low points do take their toll.

Are there any pre-match superstitions that go on around the club?
No I don’t like to get involved in that sort of thing!

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