Christopher Schindler has urged his Huddersfield team-mates to keep fighting — even though their Premier League fairytale could end this weekend.
The rock-bottom Yorkshire club's return to the Championship after two top-flight seasons will be confirmed on Sunday afternoon, if they lose their Saturday trip to Crystal Palace, Burnley win at home to Wolves the same day and Cardiff beat visitors Chelsea 24 hours later.
Huddersfield will equal Derby’s unwanted record for the earliest relegation from the Premier League — after 32 games, set in 2008 — if they do go down this weekend.
The Terriers also need to score three times in their three remaining matches at the John Smith’s Stadium just to avoid setting a new low for the fewest number of home goals in a top-flight campaign.
Despite Huddersfield’s impending relegation two years after they came up via a play-off final penalty shootout against Reading under then-boss David Wagner, Schindler — who netted the final spot-kick that day at Wembley — claims they must keep trying.
“I know it’s a tough time at the minute because we’re in the final part of the season and bottom of the Premier League, but there are still games to go,” said the German defender, who has succeeded Tommy Smith as captain.
“It’s our responsibility now to make each game as good as it possibly can be, to get more points on the table and then we’ll see where that leaves us.
“I have to lead by example. We have a young squad, so we have to get everyone on the same page to move forward.”
Wagner's replacement Jan Siewert wants Schindler to give leadership to the Terriers as he begins the job of overhauling the side.
Siewert wants to rebuild his team around younger players such as Karlan Grant, and the likes of Mathias Jorgensen - together with free agents Erik Durm, Jonas Lossl, Danny Williams, Laurent Depoitre and Rajiv Van La Parra - could all go this summer.
