David Wagner said the club was "now in my heart and ultimately, I want what is best for its future"
Former Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner has issued a heartfelt thank you to the club after leaving by mutual consent on Monday.
The German, 47, leaves with the Terriers at the bottom of the Premier League having guided them to the top flight in 2017 via the play-offs.
The club said his departure was a "truly joint decision" as Wagner needed a break from management.
Wagner said the club made his family feel like "true Huddersfield 'folk'".
"I'm sad to be leaving, but I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved at Huddersfield Town. This club is now in my heart and ultimately, I want what is best for its future," he said.
Wagner joined the club in November 2015 and kept them in the Premier League last season with a 16th-place finish.
Town chairman Dean Hoyle called it a "sad day", adding that Wagner's achievements over the past three and a half years had surpassed his "wildest expectations" and make him one of the greats of the club.
Wagner led Huddersfield to the Premier League in 2017 via the Championship play-offs'We've achieved unbelievable things' - Wagner's letter in full
As I leave Huddersfield Town, I want to say thank you.
From the very first day that [wife] Christoph and I arrived in Huddersfield, you have made us feel like part of your group. Our families and I will always remember this.
Our children have grown up here for part of their lives and we all now consider ourselves true Huddersfield 'folk'!
Together, we have achieved unbelievable things; we made the dream of Premier League football for Huddersfield Town a reality.
That only happened because of this incredible togetherness that was unique to this club and, again, I must thank you, the tremendous supporters of this club, for making this possible. The bond between the players and the fans is something you had to experience to believe.
I'd also like to thank every player for their efforts on the pitch; ultimately, they are the ones who had to go out onto the grass and make this possible. They deserve all the credit they received.
Thanks also to every member of my technical staff and the staff behind the scenes at the club. We have some superb people at Huddersfield Town who have played big, big roles in making our success possible.
My final thanks go to the board of directors, and Dean Hoyle in particular. In the same way that I took a chance on this club, Huddersfield Town took a chance on me; one that has paid off in every way. I have a special relationship with Dean that transcends chairman and head coach and he gave me every support he could. We will always be good friends.
I'm sad to be leaving, but I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved at Huddersfield Town. This club is now in my heart and ultimately, I want what is best for its future.
I will be supporting them from afar this weekend when Mark Hudson leads the team against Manchester City and I wish him, the staff, the players and you, the fans, all the luck in the world. I hope we see the true Terrier spirit that we can all be proud of.
Source: bbc.com