Find out more about Huddersfield Town up and coming youngsters
- Latest #YoungTerriers in focus series
- Town shines the spotlight on the Club’s Academy talent
- Today we look at Under-17s full-back Luke Daley
With the coronavirus putting paid to Town’s fixture list until 30 April at the least, we’ve decided to throw the spotlight on some of the up and coming Young Terriers in the Academy!
Today we take a closer look at full back Luke Daley, who is close to completing the first year of his scholarship having joined Town in the summer of 2019.
Luke hails from the North West of England, from a family of Everton fans, and attended Callands Community Primary School whilst playing his junior football for Crosfields JFC.
His life in a professional football setup started as an eight-year-old, when he signed for Port Vale’s Academy at Under-9 level.
Luke captained the Cheshire Schools side whilst at Great Sankey High School in Warrington and he was playing for that representative team when he first came to Town’s attention, with Head of Academy Recruitment Emyr Humphreys watching him in a game against Shrewsbury Town during the summer of 2018.
Daley was playing as a left-sided centre half on that day but played as a winger when Emyr subsequently watched him twice for Port Vale’s Under-18s.
Town’s Academy started the process of offering Luke a two-year scholarship, which he accepted amid interest from Southampton and Liverpool.
Humphreys and Town’s coaches had already agreed that Luke’s characteristics fitted perfectly as a left back in Town’s system and it was in that position that he joined the Under-17 group in the summer of 2019.
He’s been a virtual ever-present for the Under-17s this season, scoring once in 27 starts, and has also made a real impact on the Elite Development Team and Under-19s, with another goal in 12 appearances.
The 17-year-old has a beautiful ability to carry the ball past opponents, matched by his intense focus on making a success of his football career, and is another player that should be closely monitored by Town fans over the coming seasons!
You can keep a close eye on the youngsters' development on Twitter via @htafcacademy.
