Huddersfield Town must consider ex-Derby County manager to replace Michael Duff | OneFootball

The 51-year-old was sacked by the Rams in February after failing to win a single game in 2025, but his League One experience is incredible.

Huddersfield Town's decision to sack Michael Duff was one that was a long time coming, and after a run of seven defeats in 11 games, their play-off hopes have been hit hard.

While they still have a chance of finishing in the top six, the form of those around them, especially Bolton Wanderers, will be hard to match and supporters may have already started to accept the reality of a second season in League One.

Jon Worthington has taken over as the interim manager until the end of the campaign, and his task now is to steady the ship ahead of a summer of change at the John Smith's Stadium.

Huddersfield are taking their time with their next choice of permanent manager, and there will be several names thrown into the hat over the course of the coming weeks and months, but a move for a League One specialist must be made if the club fails to win promotion back to the Championship.

Paul Warne's League One CV is incredible

Paul Warne was sacked by Derby County at the start of February after failing to win a game with the Rams in 2025, however, he was able to take his former team back to the second tier last season.

The East Midlands outfit won promotion from League One on the final day of 2023/24, beating Carlisle United 2-0 at Pride Park Stadium to secure a return to the Championship just two years after the club had been in administration.

Warne was brought in by Derby in September 2022, leaving Rotherham United, a club that he has taken out of the third tier three times in the past.

It is this ability to find ways to win promotion that should put the 51-year-old at the top of Huddersfield's list in the summer, with the Millers reportedly interested in bringing him back to the New York Stadium if Steve Evans does not change their fortunes.

Few managers have been able to crack League One like Warne, and with it likely to be a tight battle for the top six once again in 2025/26, the Terriers will need all the experience that they can get to avoid another year in the division.

He has a knack for finding a way to win promotion, whether that be automatically or through the play-offs, and he can hand Huddersfield an advantage from day one.

While he is something of a League One master, his record in the Championship is extremely poor and he has found it difficult in every single one of his campaigns in the division.

After a bright start with Derby this season, the Rams fell off a cliff at the turn of the year and they continue to be involved in a relegation scrap that they simply should have been able to avoid at the halfway point.

This does present a risk for Huddersfield if they do bring Warne in, but a shorter contract than the one that the Rams handed him could give the Terriers a safety net should the situation go downhill if promotion is won.

Nevertheless, the ex-Rotherham boss has a point to prove and he will want to show to his former employers that he can build a team capable of competing in the Championship.