Huddersfield Town claimed victory in the 2017 Championship play-off final after defeating Reading 4-3 on penalties (0-0 AET) to gain promotion to the Premier League for the very first time in their history.

The Terriers, who finished fifth in the 2016-17 league standings, four points adrift of The Royals, will return to the top-flight of English football for the first time since 1972 after Christopher Schindler tucked away Huddersfield’s fifth and final spot-kick.

After a dull and drab 120 minutes of football inside Wembley Stadium, where neither side could carve out any clear cut or decisive goalscoring chances, the prize of Premier League football next term was determined on penalties for the first time since 2002.

Christopher Schindler scores the winning penalty (4-3) to send Huddersfield Town into the Premier League! Promoted.#HTAFC #PlayOffFinal pic.twitter.com/phwnh2aM3D

— Dan Church (@DJChurch94) May 29, 2017

David Wagner’s side become the first team in Football League history to win promotion having conceded more goals than they’ve scored in the league campaign – shipping 58 strikes in 46 games.

In his first full season at the John Smith’s Stadium, the German boss has overachieved by a remarkable scale after seeing his Terriers finish 15th in the Championship last campaign.

So, after winning what is deemed the ‘richest game in football’, worth at least £170m, here is FIVE things Shoot! learned from Huddersfield’s historic triumph…

Historic Huddersfield

It has been 45 years since Huddersfield Town last tasted top-flight football. But finally, the wait is over!

The Terriers have now been promoted from four of their five play-off finals, winning promotion in 1995, 2004, 2012 and now 2017, with the latter three all coming in penalty shootouts after goalless draws.

Other than looking forward to their first-ever campaign in the Premier League, testing themselves against the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Arsenal and the Manchester clubs [United and City], Huddersfield have become the first team in Football League history to have won promotion having conceded more goals than they’ve scored in the league campaign.

After being tipped for relegation in 2016-17, Wagner has worked wonders at the John Smith’s Stadium outfit.

Four times… and counting!

On the other hand, it was familiar heartbreak for Royals fans.

Reading have never been promoted via the play-offs. They have now lost in each of their previous four play-off final appearances, holding a joint unwanted record with newly promoted Sheffield United.

Spot-kick misses from Liam Moore (Above) and substitute Jordan Obita gifted match winner Schindler the opportunity to seal promotion for Huddersfield.

Terriers need strengthening

Despite the glitz and glam of winning promotion to the Premier League for the first time, the hard truth is, Huddersfield Town look far from being a Premier League team – on Monday’s evidence, anyway.

The entire 120 minutes of play was dire. More or less, a borefest.

Somehow, Isaiah Brown, on loan from Chelsea, managed to scuff wide an effort from a few yards out in the first-half, whilst defender Michael Hefele should have found the target with a clear header shortly before from Aaron Mooy’s brilliant in-swinging free-kick.

But in truth, the game seriously lacked any quality and attacking intent, with both sides knowing what a break of deadlock could ultimately mean.

With victory set to pocket The Terriers at least £170m, the club can increase that sumptuous sum up to £290m, if they retain their Premier League status come this time next year.

If they are to do exactly that, though, boss Wagner HAS to strengthen off the back of today’s display. Yes, they edged Reading in this play-off final, finished fifth in the Championship table and ultimately won promotion via a penalty shootout – but they conceded more league goals (58) than they scored this term (56).

If that sort of statistic occurs next season in Yorkshire, Wagner’s men will be thrashed left, right and centre in the Premier League and will be sent tumbling back down into the Championship instantaneously.

The German should look to try and seal permanent moves, if not successive loan deals, for current stars Mooy (Manchester City), goalkeeper Danny Ward (Liverpool), plus Brown and Kasey Palmer (both Chelsea).

Fear of defeat was greater than the will to win

Amid all the anticipation, expectation and hype, ultimately the fear of losing a play-off final got the better of both Huddersfield Town and Reading on the day.

Terriers fans won’t care, not one bit, after celebrating promotion, but both sides were offensively cautious at Wembley as a stake in the Premier League awaited the winners.

Reading, who have been absent from the top-flight of English football for four years, were rarely on the front foot, with their best chance falling to substitute Garath McCleary, who dragged his effort wide from 18-yards out.

Brown and Hefele should have had Huddersfield out of sight within the first-half, but both teams seemed comfortable knocking the ball around, trying to boast possession and evidently eager to keep a clean sheet until the very end.

A shutout they both recorded, meaning a ‘lottery’ situation was to determine the play-off champions, with Huddersfield eventually prevailing victorious.

Significant summer for Stam

In his first campaign in charge at the Madejski Stadium, manager Jaap Stam can undoubtedly hold his head high.

The 44-year-old, who led The Royals to third in the Championship this season, eight points adrift of the automatic promotion spots, has overachieved and exceeded expectations with Reading, who finished 17th in the second-flight only this time last year.

Stam, who is most famous for being part of Manchester United’s treble-winning side of 1999, ultimately could not claim his first managerial honour this afternoon, but no one predicted The Royals to improve this significantly under the Dutchman inside the space of 10 months.

Again, like Wagner and Huddersfield, Reading will need to strengthen in the summer if they are to challenge for promotion once more. Though this time, as ever, avoiding the play-offs would be ideal given their monstrous poor record in the process.

But as well as recruiting wisely and efficiently, Stam may have a difficult task of keeping hold of his best players from any potential suitors.

And finally, the man himself. Given his impressive debut term at the Madejski, who says other clubs, whether they are ‘bigger’ or higher up than Reading right now, won’t be interested in Stam’s services this summer?

After transforming The Royals from relegation candidates to Premier League hopefuls, speculation could brew around the Dutchman’s future at Reading given his admirable start to life as a manager.