 Hughes as manager ofStoke City in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leslie Mark Hughes[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1963-11-01)1 November 1963 (age 62)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Ruabon, Wales | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.74 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Carlisle United (Head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1978–1980 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1986 | Manchester United | 89 | (37) |
| 1986–1988 | Barcelona | 28 | (4) |
| 1987–1988 | →Bayern Munich (loan) | 18 | (6) |
| 1988–1995 | Manchester United | 256 | (83) |
| 1995–1998 | Chelsea | 95 | (25) |
| 1998–2000 | Southampton | 52 | (2) |
| 2000 | Everton | 18 | (1) |
| 2000–2002 | Blackburn Rovers | 50 | (6) |
| Total | 606 | (164) | |
| International career | |||
| 1984–1999 | Wales | 72 | (16) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1999–2004 | Wales | ||
| 2004–2008 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2008–2009 | Manchester City | ||
| 2010–2011 | Fulham | ||
| 2012 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 2013–2018 | Stoke City | ||
| 2018 | Southampton | ||
| 2022–2023 | Bradford City | ||
| 2025– | Carlisle United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welshfootball coach and former player who is the head coach ofNational League clubCarlisle United.
During his playing career he usually operated as aforward ormidfielder. He had two spells atManchester United, and also played forBarcelona andBayern Munich, as well as the English clubsChelsea,Southampton,Everton and finallyBlackburn Rovers. He made 72 appearances forWales scoring 16 goals. He won a host of winners' medals during his playing career, including two Premier League titles, fourFA Cups, threeLeague Cups and twoUEFA Cup Winners' Cups. He also collected an FA Cup runners-up medal and a League Cup runners-up medal. Hughes was the first player to win thePFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991, as well as having been the only person to have scored in theFA Community Shield, League Cup final, and FA Cup final in the same season (1993–94). He retired from playing in 2002.
Hughes was appointed manager of Wales in 1999 and remained in the role until 2004. He failed to qualify for aWorld Cup orEuropean Championship during his five years in charge, although his reign coincided with a marked improvement in results. Wales came particularly close to securing2004 European Championship qualification. Hughes then spent four years in charge of Blackburn, guiding them to sixth place in2005–06. He took charge ofManchester City in June 2008 for a year and a half before spending the2010–11 season atFulham. He joinedQueens Park Rangers in January 2012, helping them retain their Premier League status in2011–12. Despite some high-profile signings in the summer of 2012, QPR began the2012–13 season in very poor form, and Hughes was dismissed on 23 November 2012.[3]
Hughes was appointed manager ofStoke City on 30 May 2013. He guided the club to three consecutive ninth-place Premier League finishes in2013–14,2014–15 and2015–16. Progress at Stoke stalled in the2016–17 season, with the club finishing 13th in the table. Following a poor start to the2017–18 season, with the club in the relegation zone heading into the new year, he was dismissed by Stoke on 6 January 2018, hours after an FA Cup third round exit toLeague Two sideCoventry City.[4] He was appointed manager of Southampton on 14 March 2018, signing a contract until the end of the season, with Southampton one point above his former club Stoke in 17th place at the time of his appointment.[5] He guided the club to safety at the end of the2017–18 season, but was dismissed in December 2018 with the club at 18th in the table.[6]
Born inRuabon,Wrexham,[1] Hughes joinedManchester United after leaving school in the summer of 1980, having been spotted by the team's North Wales talent scout Hugh Roberts.[7] However, he did not make his first team debut for three years – scoring in a 1–1 draw away toOxford United in theLeague Cup, in the1983–84 season.[citation needed]
When Hughes made his United debut, the club's forward partnership consisted of 27-year-oldIrishmanFrank Stapleton and 18-year-oldNorman Whiteside from Northern Ireland, and breaking up that partnership would not be an easy challenge for Hughes. But Hughes quickly broke into the first team, partnering Frank Stapleton in attack whileNorman Whiteside was switched to midfield to partnerRay Wilkins and stand in for the injury proneRemi Moses. The departure of Wilkins toMilan at the end of the season saw managerRon Atkinson decide to stick to using Whiteside in the centre of midfield, enabling Hughes to keep his place in the first team ahead of new signingAlan Brazil, and he was rewarded handsomely as he scored 25 goals in 55 matches across all competitions as United achieved an FA Cup final victory overEverton. They also finished fourth in the league.[citation needed]
Hughes managed a further 18 goals in the1985–86 season, where they led until February having won their first ten league matches of the season, before a dismal second half of the season saw them slip into fourth place in the final table. That season saw him score 17 goals in theFootball League First Division – it would remain the highest goals tally in a league season throughout his career.[citation needed]
In the summer of 1986, Hughes was sold toBarcelona for £2 million. United announced on 21 March 1986 that Hughes would be heading for Spain at the end of the season, but the transfer had been agreed many weeks earlier.[citation needed]
ManagerTerry Venables signed Hughes at the same time that he signedGary Lineker from Everton to form a new strike partnership at theCamp Nou, but Hughes was a disappointment in his only season at Barcelona, scoring only 5 times in 37 games, whereas Lineker proved a success in three seasons at the club, scoring 51 in 138 games.[8]
He was subsequently loaned out to West German clubBayern Munich for the 1987–88 season, where he regained his form. On 11 November 1987, he played two competitive matches in one day, first forWales againstCzechoslovakia inPrague in aEuro 1988 qualifier, and second, after being flown across the border intoWest Germany, appearing as a substitute for Bayern in their win overBorussia Mönchengladbach in aDFB-Pokal second round replay.[9][10]
In May 1988, Hughes returned to Manchester United, managed byAlex Ferguson, for a then club record fee of £1.8 million. As he had done in his first spell atOld Trafford, Hughes proved to be a dynamic goalscorer and was a key player for the club over the next seven years. Alex Ferguson had been keen on re-signing Hughes for United soon after becoming manager in November 1986, but Hughes would have been liable for taxation on money earned playing overseas if he had returned to England before April 1988.[citation needed]
In1988–89, his first season back in England, United disappointed in the league and finished 11th after an erratic season. They had gone ten league matches without a win in the autumn but then went on a strong run after the turn of the new year to lift them to third place, only for a late season collapse to drag them down to mid-table. Hughes was votedPFA Player of the Year, the first Manchester United player to be credited with that award, in its 16th season. He was also United's joint top scorer that season, along withBrian McClair, on 16 goals.[citation needed]
A year later, Hughes scored twice as United drew 3–3 withCrystal Palace in the1990 FA Cup final, before aLee Martin goal in the replay gave United their first major trophy in five years. He was United's top goalscorer that season, scoring 15 goals in all competitions; 13 of his goals had come in the league, where United finished a disappointing 13th. He scored his third United hat-trick in a September clash againstMillwall in the league at Old Trafford, which United won 5–1.[citation needed]
The following season, Hughes scored both goals against former club Barcelona as United lifted theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup, winning thefinal 2–1 inRotterdam. Once again, he was their top scorer, this time with 21 goals in all competitions, although his tally in the league was bettered by Brian McClair andSteve Bruce. They also reached theFootball League Cup final that year, but United suffered a shock 1–0 defeat to aSheffield Wednesday side managed byRon Atkinson, who had been Hughes's manager in his first spell at Old Trafford. Hughes was also votedPFA Player of the Year again this season. The1990–91 season also saw Hughes score the last of his four hat-tricks for United, in a League Cup quarter-final replay againstSouthampton at Old Trafford, which United won 3–2. In1991–92, Hughes suffered the disappointment of missing out on a league title medal as United were pipped to the title byLeeds United, but had some compensation in the form of a League Cup winner's medal. He found the net 11 times in the league and 14 times in all competitions.[citation needed]
For much of the 1991–92 season, United had been linked with a move for the Southampton strikerAlan Shearer, but the player chose to stay at theSouth Coast club until the season's end before making a decision about his future, before deciding to sign forBlackburn Rovers. Sir Alex Ferguson remained intent on signing a new striker for United that summer, although it was far from clear whether it was Hughes or his strike-partner Brian McClair who would lose his place in the first team or be switched to another position in order to accommodate a new signing. Ferguson's hunt for a new striker ended with the acquisition ofDion Dublin, although Dublin was injured after playing just a few matches for the club, and it was not long before United were in the hunt for another new striker, as a lack of goals were seeing them slip behind in the title race.Eric Cantona was eventually signed at the end of November, which prompted interest fromNewcastle United managerKevin Keegan, who had first asked Ferguson about Hughes's availability that summer. Ferguson, however, insisted that Hughes was not for sale, and he remained a regular choice in the first team, playing alongside Cantona while McClair was mostly selected in central midfield from then on.[11]
In May 1993, Hughes finally collected an English league title medal as United won the first-everPremier League title; Hughes was United's top scorer with 15 goals in the league and a further goal in the League Cup. From December, he mostly played alongside new signing Eric Cantona in attack, with Brian McClair being switched to the centre of midfield. Hughes collected yet more silverware in 1994 as United won the league title as well as theFA Cup, with Hughes scoring in the final. He also scored Manchester United's consolation goal in their 3–1 defeat in the 1994 League Cup Final at the hands ofAston Villa at Wembley in that season. In so doing, he became only the second player (afterNorman Whiteside in 1983) to score in the finals of both the domestic cups in the same season. This has since been achieved a third time byDidier Drogba in 2007. His partnership with Cantona in attack also went from strength to strength, as he found the net 22 times in all competitions as Cantona scored a further 25.[citation needed]
In December 1994, with United second to Blackburn in the race for the league title, media reports were linking United with the signature of several highly rated strikers includingAndy Cole andStan Collymore, and there had already been some impressive performances in the first team from 20-year-old strikerPaul Scholes. Hughes was now widely tipped to be the player most likely to lose his place to any new signing in the forward positions, and when United completed the £7 million signing of Cole on 10 January 1995, it was almost immediately reported that newEverton managerJoe Royle was tabling a £2.5 million bid for Hughes.[12]
Four days later, however, Hughes suffered a knee injury early in a match against Newcastle, colliding with opposition goalkeeperPavel Srníček as he scored a goal. The injury was initially feared to be cruciate knee ligament damage, which would inevitably have put him out of action for at least the rest of the season, but it was instead revealed to be a serious gash, and he was back in action within a month, during which time United were left without the services of Eric Cantona, who attacked aCrystal Palace fan and was subsequently banned for eight months.[13] Hughes now found himself with his first team place still looking secure, at least in the short term, and in partnership with Andy Cole. He even signed a new two-year contract.[14]
Hughes came close to winning both the Premier League and FA Cup again in 1995, but a failure to beatWest Ham United on the final day of the season and the inability to score an equaliser against Everton in the FA Cup final a week later condemned United to their first trophyless season in six years. The FA Cup final was his last match in a United shirt. Hughes scored eight league goals in 1994–95 (two of them in the 9–0 defeat ofIpswich Town at Old Trafford on 4 March 1995) and managed a total of 12 in all competitions (two in the FA Cup and another two in theEuropean Cup). During two spells at the club, he had found the net a total of 163 times (116 of his goals coming during his second spell). Perhaps the most memorable of those goals came in April 1994, when he scored a spectacular equaliser in the final minute of extra time in the FA Cup semi-final againstOldham Athletic at Wembley.[citation needed]
By the time of his departure from Manchester United, he was the last player at the club to have been there before the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson as manager in November 1986,[citation needed] albeit having left for Barcelona before Ferguson was hired and then returning two years into his stint as manager.[15][16]
Hughes left Old Trafford for the second and final time in June 1995 when he was sold toChelsea for £1 million, in a summer that also saw the departures of players such asPaul Ince (toInter Milan) andAndrei Kanchelskis (to Everton). Hughes scored a consolation goal for Chelsea in the home Premier League fixture against Manchester United in1995–96; a 4–1 win for United atStamford Bridge in October.[17] He was on the losing side again as United beat Chelsea 2–1 in the FA Cup semi-final that season, less than two years after he had scored one of United's goals in their FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea.[18]
Hughes was one of the key players in Chelsea's resurgence as a top club in the late 1990s, forming a potent strike partnership withGianfranco Zola and helping to freeze outGianluca Vialli (who became the club's player-manager in February 1998). He put in match-winning performances againstLiverpool andWimbledon in the FA Cup in 1997, andVicenza in theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup a year later, playing a big part in Chelsea's glory in both of these competitions. In winning the FA Cup, he became the only player in the 20th century to win the trophy four times. He ended his Chelsea career with 39 goals from 123 matches and was transferred to Southampton for £650,000 in July 1998.[19]
In July 1998, Hughes was signed by Southampton for a fee of £650,000[19] by managerDave Jones, as an alternative to injury-plaguedDavid Hirst,[20] who retired within 18 months of Hughes's arrival. The goals failed to flow and Hughes was pushed back into midfield, where his experience helped Southampton maintain their Premier League status.[20]
His two goals for Southampton came against Blackburn Rovers, who he was later to join, and a "memorable volley" at home to Newcastle on 15 August 1999.[20] Hughes had disciplinary problems throughout his career, and inhis first season atThe Dell he received 14 yellow cards, a total which has not been exceeded in the Premier League as of 2022[update].[21][22]
WhenGlenn Hoddle arrived as Southampton's manager in January 2000, Hughes did not fit into his plans and he left for Everton in March 2000. He played 16 times over the course of seven months for Everton,[23] scoring his only goal againstWatford.[24]
Hughes left Goodison Park on a free transfer for Blackburn Rovers in October 2000, moving outside the top division for the first time in his playing career in2000–01. He played a key role in getting Blackburn promoted from Division One in 2001. He also lifted theLeague Cup with Blackburn in February 2002,[25] before finally hanging up his boots in July 2002 a few months short of his 39th birthday.[26]
Hughes's final career goal came in a 2–1 Premier League defeat toLeicester City on 30 March 2002. At the time, he was the second oldest player to score in the Premier League, behindStuart Pearce.
Hughes scored just 17 minutes into hisWales debut, scoring the winning goal againstEngland on 2 May 1984.[27] He went on to play 72 times for his country, scoring 16 times.[28]
Hughes was appointed as head coach of the Wales national team in 1999,[29] while still playing elite club football for a few more seasons. Initially appointed on a temporary basis alongsideNeville Southall to replaceBobby Gould, Hughes had soon done enough to earn himself a long-term contract, with Southall eventually leaving the set-up.[30] When he took over, Wales were going through a bad patch but in the five years with Hughes in charge, Wales came close to qualifying forUEFA Euro 2004. In theirEuro 2004 qualifying group, Wales ended up second, beatingItaly 2–1 inCardiff in the process, but was denied a place in the final tournament after losing toRussia in theplayoffs.[31]
Hughes quit the Welsh national side in September 2004 to take charge of Blackburn in the FA Premier League, the last club he had played for.[32] His key aim was to keep Blackburn clear of relegation, which he succeeded in doing, while also taking the club to an FA Cup semi-final for the first time in over 40 years.[33]
In his second season, he helped Blackburn finish inside the top six of the Premier League and subsequently qualify for theUEFA Cup, beating teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United (twice) and Arsenal en route. After just missing out on theLeague Cup final, his team sealed their spot in Europe by defeating champions Chelsea 1–0 at home.[34] On 4 May 2006, Hughes and assistantMark Bowen signed new three-year contracts to remain at Blackburn until the summer of 2009.[35]
Hughes then set about creating a formidable side at Ewood Park. He entered the transfer market, bringing in players such asBenni McCarthy (£2 million),David Bentley (£500,000),Ryan Nelsen (free),Stephen Warnock (£1.5 million),Roque Santa Cruz (£3.5 million), andChristopher Samba (£400,000). Rovers finished tenth in the Premier League in 2006–07, and reached theUEFA Cup round of 32, where they were knocked out byBayer Leverkusen 3–2 on aggregate.[36] Rovers faced Chelsea in theFA Cup semi-final, their third consecutive semi-final since Hughes took charge. The match ended in defeat, 2–1.[37] He won thePremier League Manager of the Month award for October 2007,[38] and eventually led Blackburn to a league finish of seventh in 2007–08, Hughes's final season in charge at Ewood Park.[39]
During his spell in charge of Blackburn, Hughes's side was accused of being "over-physical" and "dirty" on multiple occasions[40][41][42] and the club finished bottom of the Premier League disciplinary table in all four of Hughes's seasons in charge.[43]
On 2 June 2008,Manchester City sacked managerSven-Göran Eriksson.[44] Interest was also reported from Chelsea, however, who had recently sacked their manager,Avram Grant.[45] Blackburn confirmed on 2 June that they had agreed to allow Hughes to talk to City.[46] The following day, Blackburn agreed to a then-world record compensation package for Hughes to take over as manager of Manchester City, and he was appointed as head coach on 4 June 2008 on a three-year contract.[47]
Following the appointment, Manchester City's executive chairmanGarry Cook stated, "The Club intends to invest in new players as well as securing the long term services of key members of the current first team squad. Mark has already identified some of the players and backroom staff that he wants to see here at City, and we will begin the process of recruiting them immediately."[48] The players who did arrive wereJô,Tal Ben Haim,Vincent Kompany,Shaun Wright-Phillips (returning from Chelsea) andPablo Zabaleta. Hughes's first match in charge resulted in a 4–2 loss to Aston Villa atVilla Park but was followed up with 3–0 wins against West Ham andSunderland.[49]
On 1 September 2008, Manchester City were taken over by theAbu Dhabi United investment group,[50] who made large amounts of transfer funds available to Hughes, allowing City to break the British transfer record and signRobinho fromReal Madrid for £32.5 million.[51] Hughes was very active in the January 2009 transfer window, signingWayne Bridge from Chelsea,Craig Bellamy from West Ham andShay Given from Newcastle, as well asNigel de Jong fromHamburger SV. City finished tenth in Hughes's first season with the club, as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. City's home form was among the best in the League, but their away form was among the worst.[52]
In the summer of 2009, Hughes addedGareth Barry from Aston Villa, Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn, andEmmanuel Adebayor andKolo Touré from Arsenal to his squad, whileCarlos Tevez also joined after his two-year deal with Manchester United expired. In addition, Hughes signed defendersJoleon Lescott from Everton for a reported £22 million, andSylvinho – a former Arsenal and double Champions League winner withBarcelona – on a free transfer.[53]
Hughes started the2009–10 Premier League campaign with a 2–0 away win at former club Blackburn,[54] followed by a 1–0 win over another former club, Barcelona, in theJoan Gamper Trophy at a capacityCamp Nou.[55] City then won 1–0 win overWolverhampton Wanderers atEastlands,[56] followed byCrystal Palace in theLeague Cup 2–0 andPortsmouth 1–0 to maintain a 100% clean sheet start to the season.[57] City continued in good form, beating Arsenal 4–2 and West Ham 3–1 either side ofa 4–3 derby day defeat to Manchester United. City would then, however, go on a run of seven-straight draws.[58]
Manchester City beatScunthorpe United 5–1 and Arsenal 3–0 in the League Cup to reach their first semi-final since 1981. Hughes then led City to their first victory over his former club Chelsea for five years with a 2–1 victory. That last victory was one of only two wins in 11 successive Premier League matches, and Hughes left City before their League Cup two-legged semi-final against Manchester United; he was sacked on 19 December 2009 and replaced byRoberto Mancini.[59]
On 29 July 2010, Hughes became the new manager of Fulham, following the departure ofRoy Hodgson to Liverpool. Hughes agreed a two-year contract with the London side and was officially unveiled to the media on 3 August 2010, before his first match as manager on 7 August againstWerder Bremen. Hughes was joined at Fulham by his backroom team ofEddie Niedzwiecki, Mark Bowen andKevin Hitchcock.[60] His first league match in charge of the Cottagers came exactly a week later, when they drew 0–0 atBolton Wanderers on the opening day of the Premier League season, followed by a resolute display against Manchester United in a 2–2 draw atCraven Cottage.[61]
Draws followed in four of Fulham's next five Premier League matches againstBlackpool, Blackburn Rovers, Everton and West Ham, with a solitary 2–1 home win over Wolves. This meant that at that stage – including the seven-draw streak at Manchester City before his dismissal the season before – all but two (86%) of Hughes's last fifteen Premiership matches had been drawn. The bizarre run, exclusively made up of draws or 2–1 results, continued with 2–1 defeats toTottenham Hotspur andWest Bromwich Albion in the second half of October 2010. At the end of the2010–11 season, Hughes led Fulham to an eighth-placed finish in the league and UEFA Europa League qualification through the Fair Play league.[62]
Hughes resigned as manager of Fulham on 2 June 2011, having spent less than 11 months at the club. Following his departure, he said, "As a young, ambitious manager I wish to move on to further my experiences."[63] Fulham ownerMohamed Al-Fayed hit back at Hughes for questioning the club's ambition, calling him a "strange man" and a "flop" and said he rescued him from becoming a forgotten man after being sacked by Manchester City.[64] In September 2013, Hughes said he made a mistake in leaving Fulham when he did.[65]
On 10 January 2012, Hughes agreed terms withQueens Park Rangers and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract as their new manager, replacing the recently sackedNeil Warnock.[66] Hughes's first match in charge of QPR came on 15 January 2012, a 1–0 defeat away to Newcastle.[67] Hughes's first win as QPR manager came on 17 January 2012, a 1–0 victory overMilton Keynes Dons in aFA Cup third round replay atLoftus Road.[68] His first Premier League victory was on 21 January 2012, QPR beatingWigan Athletic 3–1 at home.[69]
In January 2012, Hughes brought in two defenders inNedum Onuoha andTaye Taiwo and two strikers inDjibril Cissé andBobby Zamora.[70][71][72][73] Cissé made an immediate impact scoring on his debut against Aston Villa.[74] Defeats against Wolves, Blackburn and Fulham, however, prevented QPR from pulling themselves away from relegation trouble.[75] Victories over Liverpool, Arsenal,Stoke City,Swansea City and Tottenham meant that they went into the final match of the season two points ahead of Bolton.[76] They faced Hughes's former club Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium, who needed a win to secure the Premier League title. Despite scoring twice through Cissé andJamie Mackie, two added time goals fromEdin Džeko andSergio Agüero earned City a dramaticvictory and championship title.[77] Bolton's failure to beat Stoke, however, meant that QPR avoided relegation to the Championship.[78]
In the summer of 2012, QPR brought in a large number of high-profile signings with the intent of establishing themselves as a Premier League club. In cameRyan Nelsen,Andrew Johnson,Robert Green,Samba Diakité,Fabio,Park Ji-sung andJunior Hoilett all before the start of the season.[79] Rangers' new-look squad, however, got off to an awful start as they crashed to a 5–0 home defeat against Swansea on the opening day of the2012–13 Premier League season.[80] Hughes branded his players performance as "embarrassing".[81] Hughes then signedJosé Bosingwa,Júlio César andEsteban Granero but saw no improvement in results, going 12 matches without victory.[82] He was sacked as manager on 23 November 2012 after the team suffered a 3–1 home defeat to Southampton six days earlier and replaced byHarry Redknapp.[3][83][84]
Hughes was appointed manager of Stoke City on 30 May 2013, signing a three-year contract after taking over from fellow WelshmanTony Pulis.[85][86] Speaking after being announced as Stoke's new manager, Hughes admitted that he had a point to prove following his disappointing spell at QPR.[87][88] Hughes's first task was to releaseRory Delap,Mamady Sidibe,Matthew Upson,Dean Whitehead,Carlo Nash andMatty Lund, at the same time givingJermaine Pennant a new contract.[89][90] He made his first signing on 28 June 2013 in Dutch international left-backErik Pieters fromPSV for a fee of €3.6 million (£3 million).[91][92] Hughes's first match in charge of Stoke on 17 August 2013 ended in a 1–0 defeat at Liverpool.[93] Hughes's first win as Stoke manager came in his next match as Stoke beat Crystal Palace 2–1 at theBritannia Stadium.[94] This was followed up by a 1–0 win away at West Ham.[95] On 2 September 2013, transfer deadline day, Hughes brought in Austrian forwardMarko Arnautović from Werder Bremen andStephen Ireland on loan from Aston Villa.[96][97] Meanwhile,Michael Kightly,Cameron Jerome andRyan Shotton all departed the club on long-term loans.[98][99][100]
Stoke soon lost their early form, however, and went through September and October without a Premier League win, picking up just two points and scoring only three goals.[101] Stoke improved in November and December, going a run of one defeat in seven matches, including a 3–2 win over Chelsea on 7 December 2013.[102] December ended badly for Stoke and Hughes, however, as they were on the receiving end of a 5–1 defeat at Newcastle in which Stoke were reduced to nine men and Hughes himself was sent off.[103] Stoke went through January 2014 in poor form and managed to pick up just a point and a 1–0 defeat at Sunderland on 29 January, leaving the club just above the relegation zone.[104] The one piece of transfer activity Hughes did was to swapKenwyne Jones forPeter Odemwingie in a player-exchange deal withCardiff City.[105] The arrival of Odemwingie enabled Hughes to alter his tactics and formation and it immediately paid off with a 2–1 victory over Manchester United.[106] Stoke's form continued to improve and they went through March unbeaten with wins over Arsenal, West Ham, Aston Villa andHull City. Stoke proceeded to end the season strongly with wins over Newcastle, Fulham and a 2–1 win against West Brom on the final day of the season, which saw Stoke finish in ninth position, their best finish since1974–75.[107]
For the2014–15 season, Hughes signed Sunderland full-backPhil Bardsley, Fulham midfielderSteve Sidwell and Senegalese strikerMame Biram Diouf on free transfers.[108][109] Also arriving for small fees were Slovakian defenderDionatan Teixeira and Barcelona forwardBojan, while wingersVictor Moses andOussama Assaidi joined on season-long loans.[110][111][112][113] Departing wereMatthew Etherington,Michael Kightly, Cameron Jerome and Ryan Shotton.[114][115][116][117] Stoke had a mixed start to the 2014–15 season, losing 1–0 to Aston Villa on the opening day, drawing 1–1 with ten-men Hull City, yet defeating reigning Premier League champions Manchester City 1–0.[118] Stoke's inconsistency continued through the autumn as Stoke managed just three wins beating Newcastle, Swansea and Tottenham.[119][120][121] The club then suffered frustrating home defeats against newly promotedBurnley andLeicester City.[122][123] Stoke found form in December beating Arsenal 3–2, Everton 1–0 and West Brom 2–0.[124][125][126]
In January 2015, Hughes began talks with the Stoke board of directors about extending his contract with the club.[127] Hughes's only new arrival in January was that of German centre backPhilipp Wollscheid fromBayer Leverkusen.[128] Stoke suffered a number in injuries to key players in January and February, most notably to Shawcross and Bojan.[129] In February, Stoke suffered back to back 4–1 defeats against Manchester City and then in the FA Cup against Blackburn.[130] Hughes signed a new contract with Stoke in March 2015 to keep him contracted until the summer of 2019.[131] City then went a run of three wins against Aston Villa, Hull and Everton and then three defeats against West Brom, Crystal Palace and Chelsea. Stoke ended the season strongly with victories over Southampton (2–1), Tottenham (3–0) and Liverpool (6–1), ensuring a second consecutive ninth-place finish.[132][133][134]
Hughes made a number of alterations to his squad in preparation for the2015–16 campaign. Leaving the club were the long-serving trio ofAsmir Begović,Robert Huth andSteven Nzonzi, with Stoke receiving their record transfer fee in the process.[135][136][137] With the money available, Hughes broke Stoke's transfer record by payingInter Milan £12 million for Swiss wingerXherdan Shaqiri.[138] Hughes also brought in Spanish strikerJoselu for £5.75 million, Dutch midfielderIbrahim Afellay,Shay Given,Jakob Haugaard,Glen Johnson andMarco van Ginkel.[139][140][141][142][143][144] The club had a poor start to the season, failing to win any of their first six fixtures, losing three of them. Stoke recovered well, however, winning their next three matches againstAFC Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Swansea.[145][146][147] Stoke's improvement continued through November and December with victories against Premier League champions Chelsea, Southampton, Manchester City and Manchester United; the team's style of football was praised by the national press.[148] Stoke ended 2015 with a dramatic 4–3 win away at Everton, while they also reached the semi-final of theLeague Cup after defeatingLuton Town, Fulham, Chelsea andSheffield Wednesday en route.[149]
Stoke started 2016 poorly, falling to West Brom and then Liverpool in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final.[150] The club endured a tough final week of January as they lost 3–0 to both Leicester and Manchester United and were knocked out of the League Cup by Liverpool after losing on penalties, and were also ousted from the FA Cup by Crystal Palace.[151][152][153][154] In the January transfer window, Hughes letSteve Sidwell leave as well as cutting short Marco van Ginkel's loan, while he broke the club's transfer record he had set in the summer after signing French midfielderGiannelli Imbula fromPorto for a fee of £18.3 million.[155] Stoke's form improved in February and March as they defeated Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Watford and earned a first Premier League draw at Chelsea.[156] Following a season-ending injury to goalkeeperJack Butland while on international duty, however, Stoke lost their defensive organisation:[157] They let a 2–0 lead slip against Swansea to draw 2–2 and then went and conceded four goals in three successive matches, against Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City.[158] Hughes's team were able to end the season on a positive as they beat West Ham 2–1 on the final day of the season, enough to secure a third-straight ninth-place finish.[159]
Hughes spent £18 million in July 2016 to bring in Welsh midfielderJoe Allen and Egyptian wingerRamadan Sobhi,[160][161] while defenderBruno Martins Indi and strikerWilfried Bony both joined on season-long loans on 31 August 2016 from Porto and Manchester City respectively.[162] Departing the club were Joselu, Philipp Wollscheid and long-serving defenderMarc Wilson, who left for Bournemouth after criticizing Hughes's defensive training on social media.[163] Stoke began the2016–17 season in poor form, drawing 1–1 away atMiddlesbrough, then losing 4–1 to Manchester City, 1–0 to Everton and 4–0 to Tottenham, and 4–1 to Crystal Palace with chairmanPeter Coates heavily criticising the team's performances.[164][165] Results improved in October and November and by December Stoke had moved back into a mid-table position.[166] However Stoke picked up just two points over the Christmas period and Hughes came under strong criticism from supporters after his side lost a 2–0 lead against 10-man Leicester City.[167]
In the January transfer window, Hughes brought in long term transfer targetSaido Berahino from West Brom.[168] Performances until the end of the season were underwhelming with six wins from 19, with Stoke securing their Premier League status with two matches remaining.[169] A 1–0 win against Southampton on the final day of the season, meant that Stoke ended the campaign in 13th place, their lowest finish under Hughes.[170][171]
In September 2017, just after full time following a 2–2 draw with Manchester United, manager José Mourinho refused to shake hands with Hughes. Mourinho believed Hughes had told him to "f*ck off" during the game, and that Hughes had requested that a referee send him off for entering Stoke’s technical area. Mourinho declined Hughes's handshake post-match, making it an unusual public managerial snub.[172]
Stoke made a poor start to the new season. Hughes came under intense scrutiny by supporters throughout the season, particularly after a 5–0 thumping by Chelsea, where Hughes rested several first team regulars to prepare for a home match againstNewcastle United; Stoke also lost this game, resulting in calls for him to be sacked.[173] By January, Stoke had won only 5 of 22 games, occupying a place in the relegation zone with 20 points. Stoke's run of poor form included a demoralising 3–0 home defeat toWest Ham United, where former playerMarko Arnautović scored and celebrated in front of the home fans after having been sold in the summer,[174] as well as several heavy defeats to clubs challenging for the top six positions, including a 7–2 away defeat toManchester City[175] and a 5–1 defeat toTottenham Hotspur.[176]
After a 2–1 defeat in theFA Cup toLeague Two sideCoventry City on 6 January 2018, Hughes was sacked.[4] Stoke had the worst defensive record in the Premier League at the time of his sacking, having conceded a total of 47 goals, nine more than West Ham who had the second-worst record. This was in spite of several defensive signings being made in the summer of 2017, including the £18 million signing ofKevin Wimmer fromTottenham Hotspur,[177] the £7 million permanent signing ofBruno Martins Indi,[178] and the season-long loan of Chelsea defenderKurt Zouma.[4]
On 14 March 2018, Hughes succeededMauricio Pellegrino as manager of relegation-threatened Premier League clubSouthampton, signing a short-term contract for the remainder of the2017–18 season.[179] His first game was a 2–0 win atWigan Athletic in an FA Cup quarter final.[180] On 25 May 2018, after a season that saw the Saints retain their Premier League status, the club announced that Hughes had signed a new three-year contract. His assistants,Mark Bowen andEddie Niedzwiecki, also signed long-term contracts with the club.[181]
Despite a number of positive signings in the summer transfer window, Southampton made a poor start to the2018–19 season and on 2 December 2018, with the club 18th in the table, Hughes was dismissed.[6] He was replaced by formerRB Leipzig bossRalph Hasenhüttl.
On 24 February 2022, Hughes was appointed manager ofBradford City on a deal until the summer of 2024.[182] This was the first time he had managed a club outside the Premier League.
Hughes was nominated for the League Two Manager of the Month award for September 2022 after Bradford went unbeaten in four matches.[183][184]
On 4 October 2023, Hughes was sacked as manager with Bradford sitting 18th inLeague Two.[185] It was felt by the Bradford City players that Hughes was trying to shoehorn Premier League tactics into the League Two side, and this ultimately contributed to the lack of success in his second season.[186]
On 6 February 2025, Hughes was appointed head coach of League Two sideCarlisle United.[187] Two days later, he lost his first game in charge, with Carlisle defeated 2–1 atGrimsby Town.[188] Carlisle were relegated with one game still to play at the end of the2024–25 season.[189] On 19 May 2025, it was confirmed that he would remain with the club for the2025–26 season.[190]
Throughout his career, Hughes has been known by the nickname "Sparky" which he took from thecomic of the same name.[191] Hughes grew up supporting his hometown club,Wrexham.[192] He was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2004 Birthday Honours for services to football.[193] Hughes has been married to his wife Jill since the mid-1980s. They have two sons, Alex and Curtis, and a daughter,Xenna,[194] who playshockey forWales.[195] Hughes wrote hisautobiography in 1990 entitledSparky – Barcelona, Bayern and Back.[196]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other[A] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 1983–84 | First Division | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 5 |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 38 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8[d] | 2 | — | 55 | 24 | ||
| 1985–86 | First Division | 40 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 49 | 18 | ||
| Total | 89 | 37 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 121 | 47 | ||
| Barcelona | 1986–87 | La Liga | 28 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 7[d] | 1 | — | 37 | 5 | ||
| Bayern Munich (loan) | 1987–88 | Bundesliga | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | 2[e] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 7 | |
| Manchester United | 1988–89 | First Division | 38 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 3[f] | 0 | 51 | 16 | |
| 1989–90 | First Division | 37 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 48 | 15 | |||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 31 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8[c] | 3 | 1[g] | 0 | 52 | 21 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 39 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4[c] | 2 | 1[h] | 0 | 53 | 14 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 41 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2[d] | 0 | — | 48 | 16 | ||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 36 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2[e] | 0 | 1[g] | 1 | 54 | 22 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 34 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5[i] | 2 | 1[g] | 0 | 46 | 12 | |
| Total | 256 | 83 | 36 | 13 | 32 | 12 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 352 | 116 | ||
| Chelsea | 1995–96 | Premier League | 31 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 12 | ||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 35 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 44 | 14 | |||
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 29 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3[c] | 1 | 1[g] | 1 | 40 | 13 | |
| Total | 95 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 39 | ||
| Southampton | 1998–99 | Premier League | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| Total | 52 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 61 | 2 | ||||
| Everton | 1999–2000 | Premier League | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Total | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 1 | ||||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2000–01 | First Division | 29 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 5 | ||
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 2 | |||
| Total | 50 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 64 | 7 | ||||
| Career total | 606 | 164 | 77 | 27 | 60 | 20 | 45 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 799 | 224 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 1984 | 5 | 3 |
| 1985 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1988 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 6 | 2 | |
| 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1997 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 72 | 16 | |
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Wales | 3 August 1999 | 13 October 2004 | 41 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 029.27 | [203][204] |
| Blackburn Rovers | 15 September 2004 | 4 June 2008 | 188 | 82 | 47 | 59 | 043.62 | [205] |
| Manchester City | 4 June 2008 | 19 December 2009 | 77 | 36 | 16 | 25 | 046.75 | [59][205] |
| Fulham | 29 July 2010 | 2 June 2011 | 43 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 032.56 | [63][205] |
| Queens Park Rangers | 10 January 2012 | 23 November 2012 | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 023.53 | [205] |
| Stoke City | 30 May 2013 | 6 January 2018 | 200 | 71 | 48 | 81 | 035.50 | [205] |
| Southampton | 14 March 2018 | 3 December 2018 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 018.52 | [179][205] |
| Bradford City | 24 February 2022 | 4 October 2023 | 82 | 31 | 26 | 25 | 037.80 | [205] |
| Carlisle United | 6 February 2025 | Present | 40 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 050.00 | [205] |
| Total | 732 | 279 | 194 | 259 | 038.11 | |||
Manchester United[206]
Chelsea[208]
Blackburn Rovers
Individual
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
