Wells: Everyone back home is a Huddersfield fan

An uncompromising West Yorkshire derby at a rowdy Elland Road is a world away from the tranquil surroundings of St John’s Field but Nahki Wells says support from back home gives him huge confidence ahead of Saturday’s game.

Huddersfield Town’s record £1.3-million signing takes on Leeds United (kick-off 11am) in a match he knows is hugely important to his new supporters — not to mention the club’s new-found fanbase in Bermuda.

“The support back home has been fantastic,” the former Dandy Town man said. “Everyone is a Huddersfield fan!”

United were one of the many clubs touted with a move for the 23-year-old earlier in the transfer window but the Terriers stole a march on them and others with a swiftly-concluded deal to bring him to the John Smith’s Stadium.

The Bermudian has since set about proving himself in the Championship with relish, scoring two in three games. And he has no doubt he will rise to the occasion tomorrow.

“When I played in big, important games for Bradford I did well, which was good because I wasn’t sure how well I would handle the occasion,” he told the Huddersfield Town club website.

“I played against Arsenal, Aston Villa and at Wembley last season and felt like I handled the occasions well. Tomorrow’s game is a big one for Huddersfield Town but I have played in bigger and I feel that I am capable of rising to it. The big matches bring the best out of me.”

He added: “I understand the rivalry — pride is at stake. This division has a lot of teams within close proximity of one another, which makes for good games. The games are tough and normally tight affairs, but they are matches that you enjoy.

“One of my first professional fixtures at Bradford was at Elland Road. I didn’t come off the bench, but the atmosphere in the ground was fantastic. 

“The players understand the importance of the game and what it means to the fans, but at the end of the day there are still only three points to be won. We would overtake Leeds if we won and bring an end to our bit of poor form.”

Wells also said he has already benefited from working with manager Mark Robins, a former striker himself who had well-known spells at Manchester United and Norwich.

“I have been delighted with the way things have gone,” Wells said. “The lads welcomed me and my debut couldn’t have gone any better, scoring the winner.

“The manager believes in me and I want to repay him. I still need to get up to the tempo of this league, but I believe I can. I will continue to improve with every game that I play.

“The manager is very ambitious and is always pushing us; we are a young team that plays good football. It was his ambition and the football the team played that attracted me here.

“Within the two weeks of signing I have learned so much from the manager. We talk a lot and he understands my game and I like to think that there are quite a lot of similarities between our styles of play.”