Diego Simeone, Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Jorge Sampaoli. Just four of the managers who say they have been heavily influenced by Marcelo Bielsa across their coaching careers.

Another who many outside of Yorkshire might not have heard of is Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan - but that may soon not be the case, with the Terriers targeting promotion to the Premier League under his guidance this season.

After a difficult start at Huddersfield, Corberan has turned things around this season

Having been manager of Leeds' under-23 side a year before Bielsa's arrival, the world-renowned boss immediately wanted Corberan on his coaching staff when he arrived ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.

He had two years working under the Argentine, before leaving after the Lilywhites finally won promotion back to the top flight in 2020, looking to kick-start his career as a No.1.

The former goalkeeper, whose playing career in Spain ended at 23 years old, began coaching at Villareal and was part of LaLiga club's journey to the Europa League semi-final in 2011.

More than happy to venture out of his comfort zone, a move to Saudi Arabia followed, before his first managerial jobs in Cyprus in the 2016/17.

The Spaniard had a great relationship with Bielsa during his time at Leeds
The 38-year-old helped develop some top talents at Elland Road

Not many would choose to swap Cyprus with Yorkshire - but that's exactly what Corberan did after he was appointed as the club's under-23 boss in 2017.

He helped in the development of Jack Clarke (now at Tottenham) and Tyler Roberts (a current member of the Leeds first-team), before eventually working with the first team when Bielsa arrived.

His work with the under-23 squad didn't stop there, however, and Corberan continued his work with the youth team during his second and third years at Elland Road, helping with the younger players' transition into the first team.

Bielsa described him as 'very talented' and even once stated that he values Corberan's opinion 'more than his own'.

Having left Leeds after their promotion, Yorkshire clearly felt like home to Corberan, who took the managerial role at Huddersfield - just a 20-minute drive down the road from his former employers.

A club that had been in the Premier League for two seasons between 2017 and 2019, they were in a bit of a mess when the Spaniard arrived, having just sacked Danny Cowley after a 19th-place finish.

Corberan has been described as a 'proper tactician'
As well as getting his team to play stylish football on the pitch, Corberan keeps it clean on the touchline too

Just a three-week pre-season before the 2020/21 campaign and a year without supporters in stadiums made things tough for Corberan, who struggled in his first season at the club.

Conceding 71 goals in their 46 league games in the Championship - the most in the division - also didn't help, and there was some pessimism from supporters heading into the new season after they eventually finished 20th.

However, this year has been completely different for Huddersfield, with the players beginning to understand the head coach's methods and some good recruitment, they currently sit sixth in the division.

A quiet character, the 38-year-old, who is one of the youngest managers in the division, has got his side playing some brilliant football, encouraging his players to be brave on the ball and be patient with their passing.

Corberan's work with young players has continued during his time at the John Smith's Stadium, with the likes of Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill, Josh Koroma, Lewis O'Brien, Scott High, and, in particular, Josh Koroma, all flourishing under him.

Thomas, who has been called up to the Wales national team since joining Huddersfield from Boreham Wood in January 2021, has been one of Corberan's key players this season.

The 23-year-old is one of the top creators in the division, ranking fifth in assists and sixth in key passes per game.

Colwill and Thomas have been at the heart of the Terriers good form this season

O'Brien, who has been linked with Corberan's former club Leeds, and Colwill, another who is reportedly wanted by Premier League sides when his loan expires at the end of the season, have also been key performers.

Not only can he seemingly get results, but the 38-year-old is capable of developing young players too - something the managers mentioned at the beginning of this article, including Bielsa, also pride themselves on.

Promotion is in their sights this season but, with Bielsa's long-term future at Leeds uncertain, could Corberan return to Elland Road as a manager one day?

They could certainly do a lot worse.

Huddersfield vs Stoke is live on talkSPORT 2 at 7:45pm on Friday 28 January

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2, click  HERE for the live stream.

  • App iPhone – Download from the Apple store
  • Android – Download from Google Play
  • Radio – talkSPORT is available across the United Kingdom via DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM
  • TV – Listen to talkSPORT through your TV on the following channels: Sky: Channel 0108 Virgin Media: Channel 927 Freeview: Channel 723 Freesat: Channel 731