Full Name : Leslie Mark Hughes
Date of Birth : 1st Nov 1963
Place of Birth :Wrexham, Wales
Position :Forward
Height :5ft 9
United debut :30/11/1983vs Oxford (A)
Hughes's United Record 1983-86 & 1988-95
League : 336 (9),120
FA Cup : 45(1),18
League Cup : 37(1),16
Europe : 30(3),9
Other games : 5,1
Total : 453 (14),164
Hughes's International Record 1983-2000
72 Caps for Wales - 16 Goals
Honours with United
1994 F.A. Cup
1994 F.A. Premier League
1993 F.A. Premier League
1992 League Cup
1991 European Cup Winners Cup
1990 F.A. Cup
1985 F.A. Cup
Biography
Mark Hughes must go down as one of the most exciting and talented forwards in the modern era of English football. A scorer of some truly spectacular goals, especially with his glorious bicycle kick, "Sparky" Hughes was the sort of player that ensured a game was never dull. One of his great talents was holding the ball up while waiting for his team mates to arrive as the oncoming reinforcements. In fact such was his strength and power it seemed he could hold onto that ball forever and his opponents still wouldn't get it off him.
This enabled United to create the fast-flowing counter attack that characterised the team in the early to mid 1990s. Chuck the ball at him and it would stick to his chest, head, thigh or arse. He loved the way that opponents would just bounce off him and if they got in to close he could turn quickly, leaving them for dead to fire in a lethal shot. He was also a great passer with an ability to drop off deep and act as a playmaker. And who could forget that fiery Welsh temper that would sometimes emerge in the heat of battle.
Born in Wrexham, he joined United as a Youth team player and quickly rose to the first team as a prolific goal-scorer in United's infamous 1984 season. The club roared off to a ten point lead at the start of the season but form deserted the team and Hughes with United finishing a disappointing 4th. Hughes' talents now made him one of the hottest talents in England. After winning an FA Cup medal in 1985 and PFA Young Player of the Year award he attracted the attention of Europe's big clubs.
He was sold to Barcelona in 1986 for £2 million, however the intense pressure of the giant Nou-Camp crowds and huge expectations made for unhappy times - Hughes would get his revenge on Barca's fans in 1991. He even went out on loan to Bayern Munich for a time but it was clear his future lay back in England.
Alex Ferguson was first in the queue when Barca put Hughes up for sale and brought him back to United in 1988 for £1.6 million. It was business as usual as Hughes returned to his best form again. His excellent form meant he won PFA Player of the Year in both 1989 and 1991. Hughes soon became an established International for Wales playing over 65 times. (After a year as their team captain, in 1999 he took over from Bobby Gould as Welsh Manager)
However, it was his wondrous goals that fans loved the most. They are too many to list, but his best include the amazing bicycle kick for Wales against Spain, a superb narrow-angled winner in the Cup Winners' Cup Final against Barcelona, the looping volley lashed home against Manchester City in 1989, a belter at home to Sheffield Wednesday in 1994 and the volley to equalise against Oldham in the desperate last seconds of the 1994 FA Cup semi-final, the goal that saved United's 1994 season during the peak of his career. Hughes also scored twice in the 1990 FA Cup Final and the 3rd goal against Chelsea in the 1994 Final.
In the mid and late 1980s when Manchester United were at a low ebb, Sparky was something to be proud of, a class act that any great team would love to have. When the glory years of Cantona arrived, Hughes deservedly got his starring role in the limelight and was an integral part of the two League title wins and Double of 1994. It was claimed on Cantona's arrival that the two would never work together, yet the Hughes-Cantona partnership worked brilliantly from the start.
Then, aged 32 Alex Ferguson unexpectedly sold him in the summer of 1995 to Chelsea, where he went on to win the FA Cup and become the only player to ever win four FA Cup winner's medals. At the time United fans were as angry with the manager as perhaps they have ever been, for selling the man who had been an Old Trafford icon for over a decade.
Seeing Mark Hughes in the blue of Chelsea and Everton or stripes of Southampton has never seemed quite right. While he has gone on to carve out a successful managerial career with Wales and Blackburn, he will always be remembered marauding through defences in the red of his beloved Manchester United. As Alex Ferguson once said, "A warrior you could trust with your life".
This enabled United to create the fast-flowing counter attack that characterised the team in the early to mid 1990s. Chuck the ball at him and it would stick to his chest, head, thigh or arse. He loved the way that opponents would just bounce off him and if they got in to close he could turn quickly, leaving them for dead to fire in a lethal shot. He was also a great passer with an ability to drop off deep and act as a playmaker. And who could forget that fiery Welsh temper that would sometimes emerge in the heat of battle.
Born in Wrexham, he joined United as a Youth team player and quickly rose to the first team as a prolific goal-scorer in United's infamous 1984 season. The club roared off to a ten point lead at the start of the season but form deserted the team and Hughes with United finishing a disappointing 4th. Hughes' talents now made him one of the hottest talents in England. After winning an FA Cup medal in 1985 and PFA Young Player of the Year award he attracted the attention of Europe's big clubs.
He was sold to Barcelona in 1986 for £2 million, however the intense pressure of the giant Nou-Camp crowds and huge expectations made for unhappy times - Hughes would get his revenge on Barca's fans in 1991. He even went out on loan to Bayern Munich for a time but it was clear his future lay back in England.
Alex Ferguson was first in the queue when Barca put Hughes up for sale and brought him back to United in 1988 for £1.6 million. It was business as usual as Hughes returned to his best form again. His excellent form meant he won PFA Player of the Year in both 1989 and 1991. Hughes soon became an established International for Wales playing over 65 times. (After a year as their team captain, in 1999 he took over from Bobby Gould as Welsh Manager)
However, it was his wondrous goals that fans loved the most. They are too many to list, but his best include the amazing bicycle kick for Wales against Spain, a superb narrow-angled winner in the Cup Winners' Cup Final against Barcelona, the looping volley lashed home against Manchester City in 1989, a belter at home to Sheffield Wednesday in 1994 and the volley to equalise against Oldham in the desperate last seconds of the 1994 FA Cup semi-final, the goal that saved United's 1994 season during the peak of his career. Hughes also scored twice in the 1990 FA Cup Final and the 3rd goal against Chelsea in the 1994 Final.
In the mid and late 1980s when Manchester United were at a low ebb, Sparky was something to be proud of, a class act that any great team would love to have. When the glory years of Cantona arrived, Hughes deservedly got his starring role in the limelight and was an integral part of the two League title wins and Double of 1994. It was claimed on Cantona's arrival that the two would never work together, yet the Hughes-Cantona partnership worked brilliantly from the start.
Then, aged 32 Alex Ferguson unexpectedly sold him in the summer of 1995 to Chelsea, where he went on to win the FA Cup and become the only player to ever win four FA Cup winner's medals. At the time United fans were as angry with the manager as perhaps they have ever been, for selling the man who had been an Old Trafford icon for over a decade.
Seeing Mark Hughes in the blue of Chelsea and Everton or stripes of Southampton has never seemed quite right. While he has gone on to carve out a successful managerial career with Wales and Blackburn, he will always be remembered marauding through defences in the red of his beloved Manchester United. As Alex Ferguson once said, "A warrior you could trust with your life".
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