Mark Hughes, the underrated Welsh striker
When people think about Welsh players, they must think of two names: Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale. People from an older generation might think Ian Rush, the Liverpool legend. However, Mark Hughes' name might be slightly lower when compared to these players but he did enough in his career to warrant a lot more recognition.
The early days at United
Mark Hughes started as a professional player at Manchester United and he mostly played as a striker during his career. He had been noticed by United's scout in 1980 when he was a teenager and playing at youth level, which is why he didn't make his debut until 1983 at the age of 20, already a much more developed footballer.United weren't doing so well at the time, mostly struggling to challenge for the league, then known as the First Division, and Hughes had to switch partnerships with several different strikers during his first stint at the club. However, manager Ron Atkinson was a fan of the Welshman and bet on his talents, which is something that paid him dividends later on with an FA Cup trophy.
In total, Hughes played three seasons at United from 1983 to 1986, scoring a total of 47 goals in 121 games across all competitions, which was a very good output for a young player who was playing in a dysfunctional side. The Welshman was loved by fans, but, ultimately, things were going to change for this dynamic in the summer of 1986.
Barcelona stadium Camp Nou - Hughes first stop when playing abroad
His time abroad
English football was going through a lot of changes in the mid-80s and this was mostly due to the Heysel disaster. The rise of hooliganism had led to English clubs not being able to participate in European competitions for the remainder of the decade, which saw a lot of big names leaving the country and signing for some of the best teams in Europe.Mark Hughes did likewise, and in the summer of 1986, after a very good season with United, he signed for Spanish giants FC Barcelona for 2 million pounds. The interesting part is that the Red Devils had announced his departure around March, which has led to some people arguing that his performances decreased during that portion of the season because of that.
Be that as it may, Barcelona manager Terry Venables, an Englishman, had signed him and now former Leicester and Everton striker Gary Lineker to form a deadly partnership that would conquer Spain and Europe... on paper. The truth of the matter is that while Lineker was a success at Barcelona, becoming a fan-favorite and scoring a lot of goals in Spain, Hughes struggled greatly and didn't manage to make a positive impact in that club.
Eventually, he was loaned to Bayern Munich for the 1987/88 season and while his performances did improve, there is also no denying that he didn't show the heights that he had shown at Old Trafford with United. It's fair to say that Hughes did improve with the German giants but not enough to warrant a permanent transfer.
So, by the time the summer of 1988 rolled around, the Welshman was bound to leave Barcelona and was looked down upon as a fading force, which is why when he got a call from a certain Alex Ferguson, things were about to change for Mark.
Return at United and legacy
Ferguson arrived at United in the summer of 1986 and was determined to make much-needed changes to bring the Red Devils back to the top, although the rest of the 80s would continue to be a struggle for the club. In that regard, Fergie decided to resign Hughes in the summer of 1988 for a record fee for the club of 1.5 million pounds, which could have been a risky decision considering how the player had performed abroad.However, Hughes came back and it was as if he had never left, especially considering his output. Mark played from 1988 to 1995 in his second stint at United and didn't score less than 12 goals per season across all competitions during each of these seasons. It is a testament to how vital and reliable he was as a goalscorer, especially considering his relationship with the United faithful.
Furthermore, as Ferguson was rebuilding the side and turning into the team that would dominate English football in the 90s, Hughes was a much-needed presence in terms of experience and know-how. This has been pointed out by the likes of Roy Keane and Phil Neville over the years, showing how vital Hughes was for the club's success in the early 90s, much like midfielder and captain Bryan Robson, which goes to show how valuable that experience was.
Of course, all good things must come to an end. Hughes left United in 1995 as Ferguson continued to rebuild the side and the Welshman left with a cabinet filled with trophies and an amazing legacy at the club. He played with Chelseafrom 1995 to 1998, winning three trophies and 39 goals in 123 games across all competitions, which was a very good output considering his age.
He would play the remainder years of his career with Southampton, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers, retiring with the latter in 2002 after almost two decades in professional football. As most English football fans know, he got into coaching and while he has made a name for himself on that front, his legacy as a professional footballer, especially at United, deserves a lot more recognition.
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