![]() Hughes playing for Fleetwood Town in 2013 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jeffrey Edward Hughes [1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 29 May 1985||
Place of birth | Larne, Northern Ireland | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Larne (head of youth development phase) | ||
Youth career | |||
2001–2002 | Ballymena United | ||
2002–2003 | Larne | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2003–2005 | Larne | 47 | (1) |
2005–2007 | Lincoln City | 63 | (8) |
2007–2008 | Crystal Palace | 10 | (0) |
2007–2008 | → Peterborough United (loan) | 7 | (1) |
2008 | → Bristol Rovers (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2008–2011 | Bristol Rovers | 129 | (28) |
2011–2013 | Notts County | 89 | (20) |
2013–2015 | Fleetwood Town | 47 | (4) |
2015–2016 | Cambridge United | 9 | (0) |
2016 | → Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 18 | (1) |
2016–2018 | Tranmere Rovers | 76 | (4) |
2018–2023 | Larne | 90 | (10) |
Total | 585 | (77) | |
International career‡ | |||
2006 | Northern Ireland U21 [3] | 7 | (3) |
2006 | Northern Ireland [4] | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:49 (UTC) 8 February 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12:49, 8 February 2023 (UTC) |
Jeffrey Edward Hughes (born 29 May 1985) is a retired Northern Irish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He has also played internationally for Northern Ireland, making his debut during their 2006 summer tour of the United States. He is currently Head of Youth Development Phase at Larne.
Hughes played for the Ballymena United academy, before transferring to the academy at hometown club Larne. He went on to make his Irish League debut for The Harbour Rats, before moving to The Football League in England to join Lincoln City in League Two.
He was originally deployed in the left-back position for Larne, however under John Schofield at Lincoln, he has proven that he is equally adept at playing a more attacking role as a wing-back and a winger on the left side.
Despite Hughes' three goals over two legs against Bristol Rovers, [5] [6] Lincoln experienced their fourth-successive play-off defeat in 2007, and Hughes moved to Crystal Palace of The Championship, reaching his highest level yet. However, he struggled at Selhurst Park. He went on a two-month loan to Peterborough United in November 2007, scoring once against Bradford City. [7] In the January transfer window, Peterborough tried to agree terms with Hughes to sign him, but failed to do so, and thus he returned to Palace.
At the end of March, Bristol Rovers signed Hughes on a loan deal until the end of the season, but he was injured on his reserve team debut, after giving Rovers the lead. He returned to Palace for treatment, before signing permanently for Rovers in the summer.
On 30 April 2010 he was called to the Northern Ireland B national football team for a friendly against Scotland national football B team on 6 May 2010.
On 18 September 2010 Hughes scored his first professional hat-trick away to Dagenham and Redbridge, a game which Rovers won 3–0.
He was one of seventeen players released by the team in May 2011. [8]
On 28 June 2011, Hughes signed for League One side Notts County on a two-year deal. [9] He scored on his league debut against Carlisle United on 6 August 2011.
On 22 May 2013, Hughes signed for Fleetwood Town. [10]
On 14 July 2015, Hughes signed a two-year contract with Cambridge United. [11]
In January 2016, Hughes moved to Tranmere Rovers, on loan for the rest of the season, [12] before signing a two-year deal with them in July of that year. [13]
On 11 April 2018, Hughes rejoined his hometown club Larne on a 3-year deal. During his second spell at the club, Hughes lead the Inver men to the Championship title in 2019 and promotion back into the Irish Premiership, for the first time since 2005. Success followed, as Larne would go onto win the County Antrim Shield three times, qualify for Europe on two occasions, including a magnificent campaign in 2021, winning through against Bala Town and Aarhus GF. Domestically, Hughes guided Larne to another Irish Cup final, losing to Linfield, but ultimately winning their first Irish League title in the clubs 134-year history in 2022–23 season.
On 8 February 2023, Hughes announced his retirement following a serious injury, [14] remaining at Larne in the role of Head of Youth Development Phase. [15]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Lincoln City | 2005–06 [16] | League Two | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
2006–07 [17] | 41 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 3 | 44 | 9 | ||
Lincoln total | 65 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 68 | 11 | ||
Crystal Palace | 2007–08 [18] | Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Peterborough United (loan) | 2007–08 [18] | League Two | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
Bristol Rovers | 2008–09 [19] | League One | 43 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 46 | 6 |
2009–10 [20] | 44 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 48 | 13 | ||
2010–11 [21] | 42 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 [lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 46 | 11 | ||
Bristol Rovers total | 129 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 140 | 30 | ||
Notts County | 2011–12 [22] | League One | 45 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 17 |
2012–13 [23] | 44 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 49 | 7 | ||
Notts County total | 89 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 99 | 24 | ||
Fleetwood Town | 2013–14 [24] | League Two | 25 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 [lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 32 | 5 |
2014–15 [25] | League One | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
Fleetwood total | 47 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 55 | 6 | ||
Cambridge United | 2015–16 [26] | League Two | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 11 | 1 |
Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 2015–16 [26] | National League | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |
Tranmere Rovers | 2016–17 [27] | National League | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | --- | 3 [lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
Career total | 414 | 64 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 453 | 76 |
Tranmere Rovers
Larne
Individual
Joseph Murphy is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL League Two club Tranmere Rovers.
Olukayode Ishmael "Kayode" Odejayi is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker, most recently for Guiseley. He is a former Nigeria international.
Matthew Clayton Hill is an English former footballer who played as a defender. Born in Bristol, Hill started his career with Bristol City where he made over 200 appearances. He subsequently joined Preston North End where he also spent a successful spell, playing over 100 times for the Lancashire club. A move to Wolverhampton Wanderers followed but first team opportunities were more limited and he was loaned to Queens Park Rangers before leaving to join Barnsley. After only one season at the South Yorkshire club he transferred to Blackpool but again played few first team games before being loaned to Sheffield United, with the move being made permanent in the summer of 2012. He managed non-league Stafford Rangers F.C. from 2021 to 2023
Mark Leonard Randall is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for NIFL Premiership club Larne.
David Thomas Hugh Buchanan is a footballer who played in the Football League for Bury, Tranmere Rovers, Preston North End and Northampton Town, and in the Scottish Premier League for Hamilton Academical. Though born in England, Buchanan represented Northern Ireland at under-19 and under-21 level. A left-back, Buchanan played most recently for Chesterfield. His cousin is former Lisburn Distillery footballer Wayne Buchanan.
Liam Michael Feeney-Howard is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League North team Scunthorpe United. He became a free agent on 30 June 2023.
Sam Oliver Slocombe is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL League Two side Notts County. He began his career with Bottesford Town in the Northern Counties East Football League. In 2008, he moved to his hometown club Scunthorpe United. Slocombe had made over 130 appearances for Scunthorpe and was the club's longest-serving player, before being released by them in 2015.
Daniel Anthony Kearns is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Kearns joined Peterborough United from Dundalk in 2011 and had three separate loan spells with clubs across Northern England. He permanently joined Carlisle United after leaving Peterborough, and spent a year there before returning to Ireland, spending his later career at various clubs in the Irish Premiership and League of Ireland.
Cian Thomas Bolger is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Larne.
Robert James Weir is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Crusaders. He has played in the English Football League for Tranmere Rovers, Burton Albion and Leyton Orient and Chesterfield.
Michael Smith is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for National League club Yeovil Town and the Northern Ireland national team. Smith has previously played for Heart of Midlothian in Scotland, Ballyclare Comrades and Ballymena United in Northern Ireland, and Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United in England.
Andy Ryan is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Larne in the Irish Premiership.
Oliver Lewis Norburn is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Blackpool. Born in England, he plays for the Grenada national team. He made his debut for the team in 2021 and played at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
John Herron is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gibraltar Football League side Manchester 62.
Hakeeb Adeola Abiola Ayinde Adelakun is an English professional footballer who most recently played for Lincoln City.
Michael Uzoukwu Absalom Jude Ihiekwe is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL Championship club Sheffield Wednesday.
Dylan Mottley-Henry is an English professional footballer who plays for Buxton, on loan from South Shields, as a winger.
Thomas Christopher Davies is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League Two club Tranmere Rovers.
Shaun Want is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for NIFL Premiership side Larne.
Graham Kelly is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for NIFL Premiership club Coleraine. He has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-18 and under-19 level.