Martin Drury is a blunt, no‑nonsense figure who admits that never in his life did he set out to become a head coach. While he briefly took the reins at Bradford Park Avenue in the National League North during the 2015‑16 season, that stint came shortly after he hung up his boots and he soon slipped back into the shadows.
Over the following ten years he assembled a varied coaching résumé, serving on the staff at Boston United, Bradford City, Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Valencia. Now he has returned to his hometown club, Huddersfield Town, as the man in charge. An interim appointment in March 2026 was rewarded with a two‑year contract in May, cementing his status as the club's permanent manager.
In a recent Sky Sports interview Drury traced his path from the Spanish top flight back to the English lower leagues, explaining how each stop shaped his philosophy and why he is determined to guide the Terriers out of League One. Drury first crossed paths with Spanish coach Carlos Corberán while both were working in Yorkshire – Drury at Bradford and Corberán at Leeds.
Their professional rapport deepened in August 2024 when Drury accepted a role as an individual coach at West Brom, where Corberán was part of the coaching set‑up. "When I first met Carlos, I felt we connected from a work‑ethic perspective and we were very much aligned in how we saw life and earning everything you get in life through work," Drury recalled. He added that, despite their different cultural backgrounds, they shared a common footballing vision and similar personality traits.
When Corberán left West Brom for Valencia on Christmas Eve 2024, Drury followed within days, taking up the assistant position at the Spanish club. The move meant abandoning a promising Championship play‑off push in England for the daunting task of keeping Los Murcielagos afloat in LaLiga.
The pair enjoyed a fairy‑tale start, briefly leading Real Madrid at the Mestalla on 3 January 2025 before Luka Modrić equalised and Jude Bellingham netted a 96th‑minute winner. "I remember prepping for that game and thinking this was the type of environment I wanted to be in, to go up against players like Kylian Mbappé, Bellingham, Modrić," Drury said. He described the atmosphere of a last‑minute victory at the Bernabeu as "something so, so special" and praised the learning experience of facing Barcelona’s elite side week after week. The season ended with Valencia climbing from the bottom of the table to within touching distance of European qualification, a turnaround Drury described as "pretty special" given the points they secured against football giants.
In July 2025 Drury returned to the UK, joining Keith Andrews’ backroom staff at Brentford as one of the assistant first‑team coaches. However, after only three Premier League fixtures he left the club in early September.
Director of Football Phil Giles lauded Drury’s contributions, while Drury himself praised Brentford’s professionalism and Keith Andrews’ managerial acumen, noting that sometimes a coach must decide whether a club is the right fit. He reflected, "The conversations I had there were really open and honest, and I look at them from afar and I'm so happy with how they went last season. I genuinely think they'll be even stronger this season because Keith is a top manager, they've got a really good group of players and the club is run impeccably well from top to bottom." The brief Brentford episode forced Drury into an unexpected pause. He moved back north to be near family, admitting that it was the first time in twelve years he had taken a break from football – a break he "absolutely despised" in a half‑joking tone.
Yet the hiatus proved productive: it allowed him to reconnect with old contacts, explore new ideas and reassess his career trajectory. When an opportunity arose from Liam Manning at Huddersfield, Drury accepted, drawn by the club’s proximity to his roots and the chance to build something meaningful. In January 2026 Drury was appointed Manning’s assistant manager.
By late March, following Manning’s compassionate leave after the tragic loss of his newborn son Theo in October 2024, Drury stepped up alongside Jon Stead to lead the first team. During his interim spell the Terriers recorded two wins and four draws from seven matches, narrowly missing the League One play‑offs by eight points. The club announced on 27 May that Drury had earned the permanent managerial role, describing him as the "outstanding" candidate. Although he never originally aspired to be the main man, Drury now embraces the challenge wholeheartedly.
"I love coaching, I love being on the grass, I love working with players – but I'm pretty driven and when I really believe in something, I can feel very strongly about it," he said. He explained that a deep‑seated belief in a particular culture and style of play eventually led him to accept the front‑line position, even if it was not part of his early career plan. Drury emphasised that the environment at Huddersfield has been supportive, even during periods of turbulence.
He praised the staff and players for their commitment, noting that recent recruitment has begun to strengthen the squad. "There's some connection building in the group; that's going to take some more time, as it always does when you bring in new players.
But it's a real humble group of men where, every day, the environment is driven by development, with a real winning edge and a competitive focus on it," he observed. For Drury, the ultimate goal is to forge a team that embodies the spirit of the North. "When I'm standing on the side of the pitch, I want to see a team that represents Huddersfield. I want to see players running and giving absolutely everything," he declared.
As a self‑identified northern lad, he understands what the local supporters demand. "If we do that, I have genuine belief that, because of the players and staff we have, success will be achieved," he concluded.
The upcoming Burton‑Huddersfield clash on Sky Sports+ this Saturday at 3 pm offers fans a chance to see the project in action, while a Super 6 competition promises a £1 million prize for lucky participants.