 Hughes playing for North Queensland Fury in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Anthony Hughes[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1986-12-09)9 December 1986 (age 38)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Kirkby, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bolton Wanderers (assistant coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–2004 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2007 | Everton | 1 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Stockport County (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Northampton Town | 93 | (4) |
| 2009–2010 | Walsall | 26 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | North Queensland Fury | 30 | (4) |
| 2011–2012 | Bury | 24 | (0) |
| 2013 | →Accrington Stanley (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Morecambe | 84 | (8) |
| 2015–2016 | Stevenage | 20 | (1) |
| 2016–2021 | Accrington Stanley | 210 | (9) |
| 2021–2022 | Bristol Rovers | 6 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Clitheroe | 14 | (0) |
| Total | 538 | (26) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:29, 31 January 2025 (UTC) | |||
Mark Anthony Hughes (born 9 December 1986) is an English former professionalfootballer who is assistant coach atEFL League One clubBolton Wanderers.
AnEverton academy graduate, Hughes also played forNorthampton Town,Walsall,North Queensland Fury,Bury andMorecambe.
Born inLiverpool, he joinedEverton at the age of seven and progressed to the rank of reserve team captain.[3] During his time at Everton, he spent a period in 2006 out on loan atStockport County inLeague Two.[4] He signed a new 1-year deal with Everton in April 2006 to keep him at the club until the summer of 2007.
He was a regular captain for the reserves team and made three appearances in the Everton first team. He started in theFootball League Cup game againstPeterborough United on 20 September 2006 which Everton won 2–1, and came on as a substitute at half time againstLuton Town in the following League Cup match which Everton won 4–0, as well as making hisPremier League debut on 3 December 2006, being substituted on in the final minutes of a 2–0 victory overWest Ham United atGoodison Park.[5]
He moved toNorthampton Town on 31 January 2007 for an undisclosed fee and signed a two-year contract. He became a first choice centreback underStuart Gray, and scored his first goal for the club againstRotherham United on 24 March.
In June 2009 he did not take up an offer of a new contract with Northampton Town. On 8 July, Hughes signed for League One clubWalsall on a free transfer. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 win atWycombe Wanderers on 31 October 2009.[6]
He was offered a new contract by Walsall on 10 May 2010.[7]
In June 2010, Hughes signed a contract withNorth Queensland Fury in the AustralianA-League.[8] The move came as a surprise, after signing contract acceptance forms with Walsall just one month earlier.[7][9] He was given a role in the leadership group at the Fury upon arrival.[10]
"The decision to come and play in Australia has been life-changing for me. I believe I've improved as a footballer and grown as a man."
Hughes quickly made a name for himself in the A-League, having to turn down contracts offered by several other A-League clubs midway through the season, includingSydney FC.[10][12] In total, he scored four goals for the season including one penalty. He went on to be named the Fury's best player of the season at the club's awards night, in addition to receiving the People's Choice Award and the Player's Player Award.[11]
Hughes returned to England after North Queensland Fury ceased operations, and joined newly promotedLeague One clubBury, having to turn down an offer from A-League clubNewcastle Jets.[13]
Hughes signed a two-year contract withBury on 21 June 2011, subject to a medical and international clearing. This made him new managerRichie Barker's first signing for the club.[14] Hughes scored his first goal for Bury in the opening game of his second season at the club on 12 August 2012, where Bury suffered a 2–1 defeat toMiddlesbrough in theLeague Cup.[15]
Despite being a regular starter for Bury in the 2012–13 season, Hughes was loaned out toLeague Two sideAccrington Stanley on 31 January 2013 for the remainder of the season.[16] He made just five appearances for Accrington before returning to Bury early, after suffering a calf injury.[17]
Hughes was released by Bury at the end of the 2012–13 season, along with fifteen other players, following the club's relegation to League Two.[18] He made a total of 60 appearances for Bury in his two seasons at the club.
Following his release from Bury, Hughes signed a two-year deal withLeague Two clubMorecambe on 9 July 2013, and was named as the new club captain on arrival.[19] He was then released by Morecambe on 7 May 2015.[20]
Following the release from Morecambe, Mark Hughes signed forStevenage on 27 May 2015.[21]He was Teddy Sheringham's first summer signing. Hughes' first goal for the club was a late equaliser in a 2–2 draw withNewport County on 15 August 2015.[22]
On 29 January 2016, Hughes re-joined Accrington Stanley following his release from Stevenage, signing a short-term contract until the end of the season with the club he had spent time on loan at three years prior.[23] On 30 April 2016, in the penultimate match of the season, Hughes scored his first goal for the club with a 78th-minute winner overWycombe Wanderers that saw Accrington remain in second place, two points clear of fourth place.[24] The season ultimately ended poorly for Accrington as, despite hitting the woodwork three times, they were held to a 0–0 draw byStevenage on the final day of the season, with a 92nd-minute winner fromBristol Rovers' defenderLee Brown seeing Rovers sneak above Accrington into the third and final automatic promotion place, consigning Accrington to the play-offs.[25] Hughes featured in both of the play-off semi final matches as Accrington lost 3–2 on aggregate toAFC Wimbledon.[26][27]
Hughes was a part of the Accrington side that won the2017–18 League Two title, featuring in all 46 league matches. Promotion to the third tier for the first time in the club's history was confirmed on 17 April 2018 when a double fromBilly Kee saw Accrington defeatYeovil Town.[28] The title was confirmed on the penultimate day of the season with a 1–0 victory overLincoln City.[29] Hughes was rewarded for his efforts over the season with a place in thePFA League Two Team of the Year, along with two of his teammates,Sean McConville andBilly Kee.[30] At the end of the season the club exercised a contractual option to retain him.[31]
In July 2019, Hughes signed a new one-year contract extension with the club having the option for a second year to keep him until the end of the2020–21 season.[32]
On 27 March 2021, Hughes was forced off through injury in the 31' minute of what turned out to be his final appearance in an Accrington shirt, a 7–0 defeat toPeterborough United.[33] Until this injury, Hughes had played every minute of the season.[34] Hughes was offered a new contract with the club at the end of the 2020–21 season.[35]
On 26 May 2021, Hughes signed a one-year deal with League Two sideBristol Rovers, the side that had narrowly beaten Accrington to promotion five years previously. He opted against signing the contract extension.[36] Hughes made his debut for the club on the opening day of the2021–22 season, giving away a 96th-minute penalty for a foul onOliver Hawkins that was converted byDanny Johnson to giveMansfield Town a 2–1 victory.[37] Hughes picked up an Achilles injury in September 2021 in training that saw him out of action for the remainder of his time with the club,[38] taking up a coaching role at times.[39]
On 23 September 2024, Hughes came out of retirement to joinNorthern Premier League Division One West clubClitheroe on a non-contract basis.[40]
On 6 January 2022, Hughes joined the backroom staff of former Everton teammateSteven Schumacher by in the role of First Team Coach atPlymouth Argyle.[39][41] Hughes became assistant manager in May 2022 following the departure ofKeith Downing.[42] Hughes followed Schumacher toStoke City in December 2023.[43] He left Stoke in September 2024.[44] He rejoined Schumacher's coaching staff on his appointment asBolton Wanderers head coach in January 2025.[45]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stockport County | 2005–06[46] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Everton | 2006–07[47] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Northampton Town | 2006–07[47] | League One | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| 2007–08[48] | League One | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 42 | 1 | |
| 2008–09[49] | League One | 41 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| Total | 93 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 106 | 4 | ||
| Walsall | 2009–10[50] | League One | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| North Queensland Fury | 2010–11[51] | A-League | 30 | 4 | — | — | — | 30 | 4 | |||
| Bury | 2011–12[52] | League One | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 2012–13[53] | League One | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2[a] | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| Total | 52 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 60 | 1 | ||
| Accrington Stanley | 2012–13[53] | League Two | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Morecambe | 2013–14[54] | League Two | 44 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 5 |
| 2014–15[55] | League Two | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
| Total | 78 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 83 | 7 | ||
| Stevenage | 2015–16[56] | League Two | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Accrington Stanley | 2015–16 | League Two | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 2016–17[56] | League Two | 36 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| 2017–18[57] | League Two | 46 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 51 | 4 | |
| 2018–19[58] | League One | 46 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 52 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[59] | League One | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 35 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[60] | League One | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| Total | 210 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 241 | 9 | ||
| Bristol Rovers | 2021–22[61] | League Two | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Clitheroe | 2024–25[62] | NPL Division One West | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Career total | 538 | 26 | 25 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 603 | 27 | ||
Accrington Stanley
Individual
