Huddersfield Town have potential Jonathan Hogg successor tied down as composure praised

Huddersfield Town’s new long-term deal for B team midfielder Josh Austerfield has tied one of their more promising academy products to the club until 2026, and Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver has already explained the qualities the 20 year old has that the Terriers are hoping can benefit their first team in the longer term.

Austerfield spent the second half of last season on loan with League Two Harrogate and caught the eye with a series of good outings towards the end of the season, controlling the game from midfield and helping the side break a poor run of form with a 3-0 win over Carlisle and a 1-3 away victory over eventual champions Forest Green Rovers.

His composure under pressure was particularly impressive, leading his manager to wish the rest of his side had the same level of calm on the ball.

Speaking after a couple of particularly impressive Austerfield performances over the Easter weekend, Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser: “He was integral in terms of the game-plan, having to accept the ball when it was tight.

“I thought he was great. He did well with [George Thomson] in the middle of the park. If everybody had a little bit of Josh Austerfield's composure we probably score two or three.

"The thing with these young loan signings that we've had, it's can they bank the games and show people, us, Huddersfield, League One clubs possibly that they can play twice a week and handle the physical stresses on the body and show that they're not an academy player any more? He's shown that he can handle the intensity of Football League football."

A ball-playing defensive midfielder by trade, Austerfield may find opportunities limited at the John Smith’s Stadium in the season to come with Jonathan Hogg and Jon