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Ibane Bowat 'honoured' by Huddersfield Town faith as defender explains transfer excitement The centre-back made the switch to the Terriers New Huddersfield Town signing Ibane Bowat has described it as an “honour” to have joined the club. The centre-back made the switch to the Terriers earlier this week from Championship outfit Portsmouth, with the defender having arrived for an undisclosed fee and penned a three-year deal with Town. The 23-year-old started out at Chelsea before being released at under-12 level, with Bowat going on to play age-group rugby union at Harlequins prior to his return to football with grassroots side Balham. The defender then went on to join Fulham’s academy, before gaining his first experience of senior football out on loan with Dutch side Den Bosch and Austrian outfit TSV Hartberg. Bowat went on to sign for Portsmouth in 2024, and after suffering a long-term knee injury in his first season with the Championship outfit, the centre-back featured 18 times for Pompey last term, as they finished 18th in the second tier. The 23-year-old is the Terriers’ sixth signing of the summer transfer window, and reflecting on his switch, Bowat told HTTV: “It’s a bit different to London, but definitely excited to be here, and to get started. I’ve heard great things about this club, so it’s an honour to be here really. “I think Huddersfield historically is a very big club, and they’re very ambitious, and it kind of matched my ambitions as well. I just wanted to go somewhere where I felt wanted, where I felt like there was a good footballing plan around me, and that’s what I felt when I spoke to the gaffer and the director (Chris Markham). I got that good energy, a good feeling, and the way they want to play, I think that suits me as well, so I thought it was a good match. “My agent told me about the interest a couple of weeks back, and I had a couple of conversations with the gaffer and the director Chris, and I thought the conversations went really well. The plan that they want to put around me, and their ambitions as a club, that really matched with mine, and I just felt a good feeling. “Then it happened pretty smoothly, the conversations between Portsmouth and Huddersfield I think were smooth, and they were able to get the deal done pretty quick, so I’m just happy to be here.” Discussing what he’ll look to bring to his new side, Bowat added: “I think that given I’ve come from an academy background at Chelsea and Fulham, I can also bring that composed on the ball aspect, which I think can help the team, especially building out from the back, but I like to be a leader. “Even though I’m fairly young, I feel like there’s no age really to be a leader, and just to be a voice and a presence on the pitch, and also bring my physical attributes, which is the speed, strength and power. I don’t want to toot my own horn too much, I’d rather let the football do the talking, but I’d say these are the things that I can bring.” Bowat joined Town three days before their return to competitive action, with the Terriers taking on Championship side Preston North End in the first round of the Carabao Cup tomorrow afternoon, and the new recruit added: “I feel good physically, mentally, I think I’m in the best shape I’ve been in a long time. “I’ve had a full pre-season and Portsmouth have worked me hard, so I have to thank them as well for getting me fit, and now I’m just ready to get going, jump into training straight away and meet the boys, and hopefully be able to help out the team on the weekend.”