Huddersfield are preparing for life back in the Championship and they have made a smart move by brining in Tommy Elphick as their first summer signing.

The Terriers were in need of some experience in their backline, particularly as both Zanka and Christopher Schindler could be heading for the exit door this summer.

Elphick provides exactly that, in five of the last six years he has played regularly in the Championship, mostly for teams challenging for promotion in Aston Villa and Bournemouth. The other year was spent playing in the Premier League.

He is an assured defender, and will suit Huddersfield's passing style, too. The only concern would be his fitness, he made only 10 appearances in the 2017/18 season but improved on that last season, making a combined 32 appearances for Aston Villa and Hull.

Here, we take a look at how he faired last season, and what he will add to the Huddersfield defence.

 

Elphick's biggest strength is in stifling opposition attacks and clearing the ball from danger. Last season he averaged almost five per match, which is a very good record considering Villa don't spend too much time defending their area.

His stats also show he is just as capable in the air as he is on the ground. 79.6% pass accuracy is decent for a defender, and will likely improve at Huddersfield who prefer a short passing style of play.

An average of 4.7 aerial duels won shows he can handle the best in the division too, and his familiarity with the style of play in the Championship should prove invaluable.

Another aspect of his game which could do with improvement is his rate of interceptions. It is an area of the game which is becoming more important in the division and if he improves on his average of 1.2 Huddersfield will have a complete defender on their hands.

His presence in the air is also an attribute in the opposition's box. Two goals and an assist is a good return from 29 appearances, and that could be an added bonus of his signing.

Overall, if he stays fit he should become a key fixture in the Huddersfield backline, and either way his experience should be hugely beneficial for the rest of the squad for manager Jan Siewart.