Huddersfield Town have confirmed that former Bristol City striker and Bristol Rovers assistant coach Jon Stead has joined Liam Manning’s coaching staff, with the 42-year-old re-joining his boyhood club after a stint at the Mem.

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The Terriers, who appointed ex-Robins boss Manning as their new head coach last week, announced in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that Stead would be joining the first-team staff at the Accu Stadium alongside James Krause, Martin Drury, and Chris Elliott.

During a playing career that saw him ply his trade for the likes of Huddersfield, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland, Ipswich Town, and Notts County, amongst others, Stead spent three years at Ashton Gate between 2010 and 2013. In that spell, he scored 20 goals in 83 appearances for the Reds.

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After hanging up his boots following a stint at Harrogate Town, the former forward stepped into coaching with Hartford Athletic in the United States, before becoming assistant coach with Florida-based side Tampa Bay Rowdies.

In July 2023, Stead moved to Barnsley along with Neill Collins, and when the former Wolves defender was sacked, the ex-City striker remained at Oakwell as part of Darrell Clarke’s coaching staff.

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The 42-year-old remained with the Tykes until the end of last season, despite the fact that Clarke was sacked in March of last year, but left the club following the conclusion of the campaign.

Shortly after it was confirmed that Clarke would be returning to north Bristol for a second stint in charge of Rovers, it was announced that Stead would be joining his coaching staff as an assistant alongside Rhys Carr.

However, after a disappointing start to the season, Stead departed the Mem alongside Clarke in December following a run of 10 straight league defeats. Now, after a little more than a month out of the game, he is set to return to the dugout with the Terriers.

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On Stead’s appointment, Manning told Huddersfield’s website: “I’m really happy to have Jon complete our coaching team, and look forward to working closely with him alongside our existing staff going forward.

“He’s got a really interesting background in coaching, and having spoken to him at length about the opportunity, I know how passionate he is about having the chance to make a difference at his hometown club again.

“With a different skillset and outlook to our existing team, whilst sharing many of the same beliefs and ideas, I’m pleased with the coaching team we’ve now established, and I’ve enjoyed working with Martin and Chris for the time and being reunited with James, as well as getting to know the first team staff already in place.

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“Still new to the club, this initial period is crucial for us to establish ourselves and our principles, and that’s a process that Jon will now help us with.”

At the time of Stead’s appointment, Huddersfield find themselves sixth in League One, 10 points adrift of Lincoln City and the automatic promotion places and three clear of seventh-placed Stevenage.

Since arriving at the Accu Stadium, Manning has been able to guide the Terriers to back-to-back wins in his first two games. At the weekend, Huddersfield beat promotion-chasing rivals Bradford City 1-0, and on Tuesday evening, a Ryan Ledson strike from the halfway line saw them beyond Luton Town.

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Stead’s first game as part of Manning’s coaching staff will come this weekend when the Terriers travel to Peterborough United with the hope of increasing the gap between themselves and the chasing pack.

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