Fotheringham to bring Euro blend to Huddersfield

Scot will instill a ‘German mentality’

MARK Fotheringham has vowed to bring a German mentality and scottish personality to huddersfield after being named as the club’s new head coach.

The former Celtic, Dundee, Norwich City and Fulham midfielder has made the move into frontline management on a three-year deal after spending much of his early coaching years in Germany with hertha Berlin, FC ingolstadt and Karlsruher sC.

his most recent coaching stint was as assistant to Felix Magath at hertha for ten games, and the 38-year-old led the team to a 3-0 victory over hoffenheim in March 2022 when the interim boss was absent due to Covid.

After making his debut for Celtic as a 16-year-old in 1999, the Dundee-born coach enjoyed a much-travelled career that took him to Germany with Frieburg as a 19-year-old, then to switzerland and later Cyprus.

Fotheringham, who was also a player-assistant manager at Cowdenbeath between 2017 and 2019, insists his experiences as a player and a coach will stand him in good stead as he looks to lead huddersfield away from relegation danger in the Championship.

he said: ‘What you will notice from me in this period is that i never really talk too much about what i did as a player because i feel like it was unfinished business.

‘i have a lot of experience from different countries and i gained a lot by learning about different cultures and how to work with these types of players and it was very important for my development.

‘When i went to Freiburg and worked under Volker Finke, i fell in love with German football. i made a deal with myself as a young coach that i wanted to work in the Bundesliga, which i have now done, and also to work in the Premier League and this has given me a great platform with the group we have here to go there.

‘i very much enjoy working in an environment where there is pressure. i’ve been used to that, i was brought up at Celtic and, at Celtic, it’s pressure week in, week out.

‘i want to be able to relate to these young lads and bring very much a German mentality to football at this level but with my scottish personality.’

Fotheringham also worked under Tomas Oral and Michael henke — former assistant to Bayern Munich boss Ottmar hitzfeld — but has vowed to make his own mark with huddersfield.

The scot, who succeeds Danny schofield at the John smith’s stadium, added: ‘We know what these guys are like, they are serial winners.

‘To be involved with them and to be in situations where they have given me full responsibility to work with their team and implement my ideas along with their guidance was great but we have to win games, and that’s the culture i have had.

‘These are guys who have been at Bayern, won the league, won the Champions League. i’ve been around these guys for the last six years and i’m very privileged, but what i will say is that i am very clear on what i am and what i will bring to the club.’

huddersfield are currently three points adrift of safety in the English second tier ahead of saturday’s trip to Reading.

I gained a lot by learning about different cultures