Darren Hughes (footballer)

Darren Hughes

Personal information
Full name	Darren John Hughes
Date of birth	6 October 1965 (1965-10-06) (age 46)
Place of birth	Prescot, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Left-back
Youth career
	Everton
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1983–1985	Everton	3	(0)
1985–1986	Shrewsbury Town	37	(1)
1986–1987	Brighton & Hove Albion	26	(2)
1987–1994	Port Vale	184	(4)
1994–1996	Northampton Town	21	(0)
1996–1997	Exeter City	62	(1)
	Morecambe
Total		333+	(8+)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Darren John Hughes (born 6 October 1965) is a former English footballer. He was a left-back noted for his pace. He played 333 games for six clubs over a fourteen year career in the Football League. His most significant spell was at Port Vale, where he spent half of his professional career.

Starting his senior career at Everton in 1983, he was unable to make the grade and so was allowed to leave for Shrewsbury Town in 1985. After one season with the Shrews he signed with Brighton & Hove Albion. In 1987 he signed with Port Vale, where he spent seven years and made 184 league appearances. He then spent two years with Northampton Town, before transferring to Exeter City in 1996. After a season in Exeter he moved on to Morecambe.

Playing career

Hughes played foe Everton, Shrewsbury Town and Brighton & Hove Albion before joining Port Vale on loan in September 1987, before signing permanently for £5,000 later that month. Teammate and club legend Phil Sproson named him as the club's best left-back of the 1980s.^[1] He was a firm fixture in the first 11 until 1990–91 when he suffered a hernia injury and underwent two operations to fix it. He returned by April 1991, but ruptured a thigh muscle in July 1992 and again battled through two surgical procedures to correct it. To his dismay, he was released by the club in February 1994. He took the club to an industrial tribunal citing unfair dismissal, the result of which was a six week trial in August 1994 to prove his 'fitness and ability'. He quit the club in November 1994 after being dissatisfied there and moved on to Northampton Town and later Exeter City^[2] and Morecambe.

Legacy

Hughes returned to Port Vale on his 40th birthday in 2005 where he was honoured by Port Vale fans and a suite at Vale Park was named after him in recognition of his playing career with the club.

Honours

with Everton

• FA Youth Cup winner: 1984
• FA Youth Cup runner-up: 1983

References

1. ^ Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. pp. 298. ISBN 0950898163. 
2. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 145. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200. 

External links

• Darren Hughes career stats at Soccerbase

Persondata
Name	Hughes, Darren
Alternative names	Darren John Hughes
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	6 October 1965
Place of birth	Prescot, England
Date of death
Place of death