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When I think of somebody whose job is motivation I am instantly transported back to and pounded a nation into action with his sheer force of enthusiasm despite the delicate early hour.

Black is an entirely different operator.

He is probably best known for . He could be described as Wilkinson's mentor. The two men have written together and in his previous role at , Black worked with the fly-half on a daily basis.

On the day I spoke to Black, he said that Wilkinson had travelled down to Huddersfield and the two men were heading out to dinner as soon as the interview had finished. This made me feel slightly guilty as the conversation lengthened but Black assured me it was no problem. "I'm really enjoying myself," he said.

It is easy to see why he makes people feel good about themselves.

But the journey that has taken him to his current role is fascinating in itself (this is something that would probably please Black, who told me that "success is a journey not a destination").

He was born and raised in Newcastle - one of his best mates was and still is actor Jimmy Nail - and by the age of 16 was working as a nightclub doorman. Several violent incidents, including one that resulted in a man's neck being ripped open after Black threw him through a door, persuaded him to try a different path.

He took a degree in sports science and has since worked in a variety of sports, including football (Black was at Newcastle during the era he terms "the entertainers", otherwise known as ), rugby and boxing, and he runs a company that operates largely in the business world conducting motivational seminars.

Right now, however, Black's attention is devoted to his new role at League One side Huddersfield Town. He arrived at the club as part of the backroom team that .

Clark, who has previously been assistant coach at Norwich, is in his first senior managerial role. The 36-year-old had a with Newcastle, Sunderland and Fulham but is also remembered for .

Clark was a Sunderland player when Newcastle reached the 1999 FA Cup Final. Clark is a lifelong Magpies fan and was spotted in the stands with the Toon supporters wearing a T-shirt that said "Sad Mackem *&!*&**". He never played for Sunderland again.

A lot has changed since then and by bringing in Black and with him to Huddersfield, Clark made a shrewd start to his managerial career. Black, for one, is a big fan and thinks that when Clark eventually retires as a manager he will no longer be remembered for anything that happened during his playing career.

"I really believe you could be seeing the start of a special managerial career," Black told me.

"His major contribution to professional football at the end of the journey will be on the managing and coaching side."

Black remembers Clark coaching youth teams when he was a player with Newcastle in the early 1990s and reckons he has an excellent football brain, a genuine love of the game and the respect of everyone he has ever coached. Black also argues that Clark is a "student manager" and what he means by this is a continual desire to learn and improve.

But will he be able to make the tough decisions that come with the territory?

"Lee is a very honest person - and it is harder to make tough decisions if you are not 100% honest. He is a fair person and a good judge - and if you mix those two together you won't go far wrong," Black replied.

He describes his role at Huddersfield as looking after the preparation for games for the players, coaches and manager both and .

Black has increased the intensity of training at the club since his arrival. The sessions are now slightly shorter but operate at game intensity or above. The theory behind this relates to habitual behaviour. The management team are trying to impress on their players that if they can make good, quick decisions every day in training it will become a habit on match day.

If a squad trains at below their maximum intensity then individuals have to rely on adrenalin to get them through games and Black contends that cannot rely on this.

However, having come into the club mid-season Black argues that he has to be careful how this process is structured. "I will make adjustments to physical training but in a manner that ensures we still have a full tank so that we can play games at a cracking tempo."

I found it more difficult to get a grasp of the motivational side of Black's role.

"It is an extrapolation of everyday life," said Black. "It is like with your best friends - you try to create an environment that will allow them to flourish. It is not rocket science - it is as simple or complicated as that."

But how does Black do this?

He suggested this was about getting to know the environment, spending time in the gym getting to know the players, chatting over a cup of coffee and developing an understanding of what makes them tick. As the Geordie argues "everybody is different and should be treated as such".

A lot of Black's work in this regard is about managing the relationship between different people at the club. He wants to create a winning culture and likens his task to that of a sculptor. You keep chipping away and if the stuff you remove is not as meaningful as what remains then you "have a heck of a chance".

Black has told his players that "we can design and live an extraordinary life". I tried to imagine this scene taking place - how a group of professional footballers would react to words of such extraordinary optimism. Surely you have to buy into what Black believes for it to work?

"After all these years you get a feel for it, for whether they are ready for it or whether I need to take more time to get to know them and introduce things slowly, build and consolidate."

What is not in dispute is Black's enthusiasm for his role. The word "exciting" crops up in conversation again and again. He often talks to the players about their ambitions and sees his role as helping to fulfil them. He enthuses about the crowd and says with genuine pleasure that he has heard them chanting "Lee Clark's barmy army".

Black is continually looking at other sports for something that might give Huddersfield a slight advantage. "You cannot reinvent the wheel but you must look outside the square all the time," he said.

He keeps a journal, has done for years, and often refers back to them looking for something that might be applicable to his current situation. He keeps it by the side of his bed in case he wakes up with a thought or idea that is worth scribbling down.

On the day I spoke to Black he had been house hunting in . He doesn't want to stay in a hotel because it would make him feel like a visitor.

Town have won three, and lost just one of the six games since the new management team arrived at the club. The Terriers have 20 games left and are currently six points adrift of the play-off zone. Time will tell whether the management team will succeed but there is still everything to play for this season.

When I asked Black what he thought about the remaining months of the season I was not all that surprised when he said: "It is very exciting."