Huddersfield Town Sporting Director Chris Markham says Alfie May was allowed to depart the Accu Stadium to give the club ‘greater flexibility’ in the transfer market.
The 32-year-old has found himself as somewhat of a journeyman in recent seasons in League One. After excelling at Cheltenham Town, he was picked up by Charlton Athletic in 2023, where he played a huge role in helping them secure promotion to the Championship.
This saw Birmingham City swoop a year later as they targeted an immediate return to the second tier. The attacker once again showed his excellence in front of goal as the Blues stormed to the title with a record 111 points.
Therefore, Huddersfield thought they were on to a winner when they won the race for the former League One Player of the Year’s signature last summer. Alongside the highly-rated Joe Taylor, then-manager Lee Grant would have been forgiven for thinking he possessed the best attack in the division.
Despite early promise, it wasn’t to be. By January, Taylor was shipped off on loan to Wigan Athletic, whilst May found himself in and out of the team as the Terriers finished a disappointing ninth.
May Departure Was Inevitable
The upcoming campaign offers Huddersfield an opportunity for a fresh start. New head coach Martin Drury will be determined to hit the ground running and has already added the prolific Ashley Fletcher to his ranks from Blackpool.
A squad reset is likely, with May’s departure coming as somewhat of a surprise. News emerged on Thursday night that a return to former club Doncaster Rovers was on the cards. Less than 24 hours later, a season-long loan was confirmed.
Alfie May back to Doncaster?? 😳#drfc pic.twitter.com/iMG0Nxly3n
— The Football Lowdown (@FBLowdown) June 18, 2026
Speaking after the announcement, Sporting Director Chris Markham revealed the reasons behind the move:
“A move that possesses the best interests of all involved, both Alfie and Doncaster’s appetite to see an agreement reached was made clear early on, and the terms of the loan are in line with our expectations ahead of the new season.
“Giving both Alfie and the Club some clarity early in the summer now allows us greater flexibility in the remainder of the window to come, and we can continue to work toward shaping our Men’s First Team to allow Martin the tools he desires to play the football we’re all desperate to see.
“A traditional loan agreement, Alfie remains a Town player and we wholeheartedly wish him nothing but the best with Doncaster in the season to come. As we do with all of our loanees, we’ll be keeping close to him and watching on to see how he’s performing with his loan side.”
Emotional Return To South Yorkshire
It was Doncaster who gave May his first opportunity in the EFL in 2017 when he was signed from non-league outfit Hythe Town. Although his prolific years were still ahead of him, his time at the Eco-Power Stadium gave him a footing for what was to come.
Coming full circle, the striker will now return to South Yorkshire as Rovers look to improve on their 14th-placed finish. Echoing Markham’s comments, May stated how keen he was to get the move done:
“When my agent contacted me about coming back, (I told him) I want to do it and I want to do it quickly.
“Coming back feels like home, it’s a club that means a lot to me.
“They took me out of non-league and put me on a pathway and I never looked back.”
The former Birmingham man will return to West Yorkshire next summer, where he is under contract until 2028.
