Huddersfield Town centre back Leigh Franks has today joined newly promoted League Two club Oxford United on a six month loan deal.

The 19-year old defender has been on trial at Oxford for the past three weeks, where he impressed during their friendly wins over Dumbarton, local side Didcot and the more recent draw with Leicester City and manager Chris Wilder has opted to take the Town Academy graduate on a long-term loan deal.

Franks, who will stay at the Kassam Stadium until 3 January, joined Town's Academy from Northern Counties League side Bridlington Town - where he was playing first team football as a 16-year old - in the summer of 2007.

He turned professional in July 2009 and made 14 appearances for Paul Stephenson's reserve team last season, on top of one substitute appearance during a one month loan spell with Blue Square Premier outfit Fleetwood Town.

Still awaiting his Huddersfield Town first team debut, Leigh signed a new contract at the Club last month. During his loan spell with Oxford he will be reunited with former Town goalkeeper Simon Eastwood, who moved from Huddersfield to the U's back in June.

Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark commented:

"This is a fantastic opportunity and just as I said when Jimmy Spencer went to Morecambe, it will be a terrific learning curve for Leigh.

"Oxford is a club that get good crowds and I know their management team very well, having played with their coach Andy Melville at both Sunderland and Fulham. Andy was a centre-half in the same mould as Leigh and he will be a terrific help for him - he can pass his experience on.

"I've just spoken to Leigh and told him what a massive opportunity it is - he has to grab it with both hands. We'll watch him every week, build up a dossier of reports and the whole point of this move is to have Leigh challenging to break into our first team when he returns in January."

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