Lee Hughes (born 22 May 1976) is an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...

who plays as a striker for club Stourport Swifts. A strong striker with excellent finishing abilities, Hughes represented the England semi-professional team once in 1996. After being released as a youth footballer, Hughes worked as a roofer alongside his father. He started his career in the

Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...

with

Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...

, before winning a £380,000 move to boyhood club

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...

in August 1997. He finished as the club's top-scorer for four seasons running, earning a place on the

PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premi ...

in 1998–99 after finishing as the highest scorer in the top four divisions of English football. He was sold to

Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...

for £5 million in August 2001, before returning to West Brom for half of that figure twelve months later. He failed to impress in the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

as Albion suffered relegation but helped the club to make an immediate return to the top-flight as runners-up in the First Division in 2003–04. In August 2004, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal crash on 23 November 2003. Following his release from prison in 2007, he returned to the professional game with

Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The history of Oldham Athletic be ...

League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...

. He signed for

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...

in July 2009, and was named on the PFA Team of the Year after scoring 30 league goals as the club won the League Two title in 2009–10. He left Notts County to sign for

Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...

in January 2013 and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. In January 2014, he signed for Forest Green Rovers on an 18-month deal. In January 2015, he returned to Kidderminster Harriers, and moved on to Ilkeston and then Worcester City in the summer. He continued to be a prolific goalscorer into his 40s and signed with AFC Telford United in February 2017. He began his management career as joint-manager of Worcester City, alongside John Snape, in May 2017. In March 2018, he joined

Halesowen Town Halesowen Town Football Club is a football club based in Halesowen, West Midlands, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Grove Recreation Ground. History The club was believed to have been established around 1873, but rec ...

as a player, where he remained until moving on to Mickleover Sports in August 2019. He later played for Grantham Town,

Nuneaton Borough Nuneaton Borough Football Club is an English football club that is based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The men's 1st team competes in the , the seventh tier of English football. In 1889, Nuneaton St. Nicholas FC was the first team in Nuneaton t ...

, Cradley Town and Stourport Swifts.

Club career

Kidderminster Harriers

Hughes spent four years at

as a schoolboy from ages 11 to 15, though was not offered a youth team contract. He then had unsuccessful trials at numerous clubs, though came close to being offered a contract by

Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...

. He instead started his career playing semi-professionally for

club

, whilst holding down a part-time job as a

roofer A roofer, roof mechanic, or roofing contractor is a tradesperson who specializes in roof construction. Roofers replace, repair, and install the roofs of buildings, using a variety of materials, including shingles, bitumen, and metal. Roofin ...

. Although Hughes scored 34 goals in the 1996–97 season, Kidderminster failed to gain promotion to the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...

after finishing five points behind champions

Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 and ...

.Glenda Rollin (ed.), Jack Rollin (exec. ed.), ''Rothmans Football Yearbook 1997–98''. Headline, 1997. At this point in his career Hughes was regarded as one of England's finest semi-professionals and was called up to the England national football C team. In total, Hughes scored 70 goals in 139 games for Kidderminster in all competitions. He also played for amateur touring side

Middlesex Wanderers Middlesex Wanderers A.F.C. is an English touring amateur football team. History When the Richmond Town Association F.C., which had developed from the Old Boys team of the British School in Richmond, Surrey, failed financially after undertak ...

during their tour of

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

whilst he was aged 19.

West Bromwich Albion

Hughes was sold to West Bromwich Albion for an initial £200,000 – incentives later took the final sum up to £380,000 – in August 1997. He said "It was a dream to join the team I have supported all my life". The ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its Masthead (British publishing), masthead was simpl ...

'' printed that "Hughes has red hair, tattoos of a

Tasmanian devil The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii'') ( palawa kani: purinina) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. Until recently, it was only found on the island state of Tasmania, but it has been reintroduced to New South Wales ...

and a British

bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. Fans affectionately nicknamed him the "Ginger Ninja". He made his debut at

The Hawthorns The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of Championship club West Bromwich Albion since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the cl ...

as a substitute in a 2–1 win over

Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...

on 9 August 1997. Seven days later he scored two goals from the bench in a 3–2 win over

Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...

at Gresty Road. Though signed by

Ray Harford Raymond Thomas Harford (1 June 1945 – 9 August 2003) was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation. During his playin ...

, he came to the fore under new boss Denis Smith. Smith handed Hughes his first start on 28 December, in a 1–1 home draw with

Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...

. He finished his debut season as the club's top-scorer with 14 goals in 41 appearances, and was rewarded with a new four-year contract. He started the 1998–99 season in fine form, and claimed his first ever hat-trick in a 3–0 win over

Vale Park Vale Park is a football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It has been the home ground of Port Vale F.C. since 1950. The ground has seen its capacity go up and down, its peak being 42,000 in 1954 against Blackpool, although a club record 49, ...

on 22 August. Despite having recently signed a long-term contract, his form and goal record led to constant rumours of a big money move to a host of

clubs. West Brom eventually issued a "hands-off" warning to other clubs. He claimed further hat-tricks against

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

and

Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...

, and finished the season with 32 goals in 45 games. This tally left him as the country's top-scorer. He was named on the

for the First Division. He then submitted a written transfer request, and his spokesman told the press that there have "been a number of things going on behind the scenes which have unsettled him recently". In particular, his £1,400 a week salary was compared with the £5,000 a week salary of under-performing teammate Fabian de Freitas. He remained at the club for the 1999–2000 season and scored 17 goals in 43 appearances. Albion struggled in the First Division under new manager

Brian Little Brian Little (born 25 November 1953) is an English football manager and former player. As a player, Little was a striker who spent his entire career for Aston Villa in a career that spanned from 1971 to 1980. He made 247 league appearances, ...

, though improved after

Gary Megson Gary John Megson (born 2 May 1959) is an English former football player and manager. He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers an ...

replaced Little as manager in March and avoided relegation despite Hughes missing the final five matches of the season due to a knee injury. He was partnered with Jason Roberts for the 2000–01 season; the pair went on to score 40 goals between them to help secure the "Baggies" a play-off place. With 23 goals to his name, he again attracted interest from other clubs. He claimed two hat-tricks in seven days against Gillingham and

Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...

. Hughes converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pik ...

in the first leg of the play-off semi-final, before a 3–0 defeat at the

Reebok Stadium The University of Bolton Stadium is the home ground of Bolton Wanderers F.C. in Horwich, Greater Manchester, England. Opening in 1997, it was named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors Reebok. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming ri ...

ended Albion's play-off hopes. He refused to sign a new contract in July 2001, and was placed on the transfer list.

Coventry City

Hughes was sold to

Gordon Strachan Gordon David Strachan ( born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player. He played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. He has since managed Co ...

for a club record transfer fee of £5,000,001 (the unusual figure was because any offer exceeding £5 million would trigger an escape clause in his West Brom contract) in August 2001. His wages at

Highfield Road Highfield Road was a football stadium in the city of Coventry, England. It was the home ground for Coventry City F.C. for 106 years. History It was built in 1899 in the Hillfields district, close to the city centre, and staged its final game ...

were reported to be £15,000 a week. Hughes scored 14 goals in 40 games, including a hat-trick in a 6–1 win at

, and finished the 2001–02 season as the club's top-scorer. Coventry rejected a loan offer from

in March 2002, and ended the season outside the play-offs.

Return to West Bromwich Albion

In August 2002, Hughes returned to

for a club record £2.5 million – half the fee Albion had received for him a year earlier – and signed a four-year deal with the club. Despite being a regular in the first team, Hughes failed to score a single Premier League goal in the 2002–03 season and Albion were relegated in 19th place with just six wins and 26 points from 38 matches. Hughes was criticised by several teammates following the club's 1–0 defeat by Everton at

Goodison Park Goodison Park is a association football, football stadium in the Walton, Liverpool, Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area ...

, though was publicly backed by manager

. He told the press that "I want to establish myself in the Premiership and any accusations of me not pulling my weight should be made to my face." He put his poor form down to him missing pre-season training with injury problems. He rediscovered his form back in the First Division, scoring 12 goals in 36 games in 2003–04 as West Brom secured promotion with a second-place finish. His contract at West Bromwich Albion was immediately terminated in August 2004, following his conviction for causing death by dangerous driving. He spent the next three years in prison, serving half of his six-year sentence.

Oldham Athletic

Upon his release from prison on 20 August 2007, Hughes signed a two-year contract with

club

; the club asked supporters "not to pass moral judgement". His reported salary of £1,800-a-week at

Boundary Park Boundary Park is a football stadium in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Its name originates from the fact that it lies at the northwestern extremity of Oldham, with Royton and Chadderton lying immediately north and west respectively. Bound ...

was less than a 10th of what he earned at the peak of his career with West Bromwich Albion. Hughes made his debut for Oldham in a 4–1 defeat by

Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...

at Victoria Park on 1 September 2007. He failed to find the net in his first seven games, and underwent an operation to correct a hernia problem. He recovered quickly from the procedure, and registered his first two goals for the Latics in a 3–0 win over

AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a r ...

Dean Court Dean Court, currently known as the Vitality Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England and the home ground of AFC Bournemouth. History In 1910, Boscombe F.C. was g ...

on 25 November, before being named in the "League One Team of the Week". He scored his first hat-trick for the club against

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...

in a 3–2 victory at The Den on 15 December, and again made the "League One Team of the Week". He picked up a groin injury in March 2008, and was sidelined for the rest of the season. Hughes had scored eight goals by the end of the 2007–08 season, making him the club's second highest goalscorer behind Craig Davies. He opened his account for the 2008–09 season with a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over

Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...

on 23 August. Stating his future ambitions as playing

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

football with Oldham, he was offered a new deal at the club on 30 December 2008. He was linked with a move to

Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...

in January 2009, but stayed put after talks with manager John Sheridan, who insisted Hughes was "very happy" at Oldham. In March 2009, it was widely reported that Hughes had been involved in a drunken brawl with Sheridan where Hughes was reported to have had him "in a headlock". Sheridan later downplayed the incident as "jovial", saying "people have made things up". Sheridan was sacked, but insisted that the two incidents were not related, as "it was results that cost me the job". On 26 March 2009, Hughes joined Championship club

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to

Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park ...

Bloomfield Road Bloomfield Road is a single-tier football stadium in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901. It is the third stadium in the club's existence, the previous two being Raikes Hall Gardens and the At ...

on 4 April. His first goal for the club came on 18 April against

Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...

at the Valley, when after coming on as an 89th-minute substitute, and with Blackpool 2–1 down, he scored four minutes later to make the score 2–2. Hughes ended the campaign as Oldham's highest scorer with 18 goals in 40 appearances. However, he was one of a number of players released by the club's new manager Dave Penney in May 2009, and returned to

for training in order to keep up his fitness levels whilst searching for a new club.

Notts County

Hughes signed for League Two team

on a two-year contract on 22 July 2009, on the same day that

Sven-Göran Eriksson Sven-Göran Eriksson (; born 5 February 1948) is a Swedish football manager and former player. After an unassuming playing career as a right-back, Eriksson went on to experience major success in club management between 1977 and 2001, winning 18 ...

arrived at the club as

director of football A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...

. He scored a hat-trick on his debut in a 5–0 victory over

Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...

on the opening day of the season. He then got his second hat-trick against

Northampton Town Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...

in a 5–2 home win on 12 September. He claimed his third hat-trick of the campaign on 28 December during a 4–1 win over

Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home grou ...

at the Pirelli Stadium. However the club endured a turbulent time, with manager

Ian McParland Ian John McParland (born 4 October 1961) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. He played professionally as a striker with a number of teams and he is most known for his eight-year spell with Notts County, a club he la ...

sacked and replaced by

Hans Backe Hans Roland "Hasse" Backe (; born 14 February 1952) is a Swedish football manager and former player who most recently led Finland's national team. Prior to this he managed the New York Red Bulls. He has coached clubs in Sweden, Norway, Greece, ...

, who himself resigned after

Qadbak Investments Qadbak Investments Ltd is a British Virgin Islands registeredSonntagsZeitung
2009-09-27

proved unable to fund Backe's wages. New owner

Ray Trew Raymond Arthur Trew (born December 1954) is a businessman and former football club chairman from Lincolnshire. He is a former board member of Lincoln City F.C., Notts County F.C., and Notts County Ladies F.C. Trew achieved his wealth through re ...

appointed

Steve Cotterill Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of side Shrewsbury Town. Cotterill had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albion, Wimbledon, ...

as manager, and County entered April ten points behind league leaders

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Bor ...

, though Hughes remained confident that they could reduce the deficit and win the league. On 17 April, Hughes scored two goals in a 4–1 victory over

Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), ...

as County won promotion to

. He was named as League Two's Player of the Month in April. On 1 May, Hughes added another two goals in County's final home game of the season, making him the first Notts player to score 30 league goals since

Tommy Lawton Thomas Lawton (6 October 1919 – 6 November 1996) was an English football player and manager. A strong centre-forward with excellent all-round attacking skills, he was able to head the ball with tremendous power and accuracy. Born in F ...

in the 1949–50 season. He finished as the division's top-scorer in 2009–10 with 30 league goals in 39 games, and was named on the

alongside teammates

Kasper Schmeichel Kasper Peter Schmeichel (born 5 November 1986) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Nice and the Denmark national team. Schmeichel began his career with Manchester City, but had loan spells with Darlington, ...

and Ben Davies. County won the league by a ten-point margin. In July 2010, Hughes signed a one-year extension to his contract that would see him at

Meadow Lane Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England. It is the home ground of Notts County, who have played there since it opened in 1910. The stadium was also home to Notts County Ladies F.C. from 2014 until 2017. It currently h ...

until the summer of 2012. On 23 September 2010, Hughes revealed a 'Boing, Boing' t-shirt in a

League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...

tie with

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...

at Molineux – the slogan of Wolves' rivals West Bromwich Albion – and was quizzed by police after angry Wolves fans retaliated to the message by attacking Notts County supporters' coaches. He was reported to be "angry" at being named as a substitute in a league game against

Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...

on 11 December, though boss

Paul Ince Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (; born 21 October 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship side Reading. A former midfielder, Ince played professionally from 1982 to 2007, sta ...

stated that "Hughesy is 34 and cannot play week in week out. But he's never come and said 'I should be starting'. He's been different class." On 8 January 2011, he was on the scoresheet as County beat

side

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

2–1 in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...

. Two weeks later he was confirmed to be a target of

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...

. He remained with the "Magpies", and ended the

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

season as the club's top-scorer with 16 goals in 37 appearances. The club again went through a succession of managers – Craig Short, Paul Ince and then

Martin Allen Martin James Allen (born 14 August 1965) is an English football manager and former player. He played more than 100 games as a midfielder for both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and ...

– and ended the season three points above the relegation zone. On 8 September 2011, he played against Italian club

Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...

in the inaugural game of the

Juventus Stadium Juventus Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium ( it, Lo Stadium), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home o ...

, and scored County's goal in a 1–1 draw; after the game he had a signed shirt from

Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is head coach of Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Considered one of the best deep-lying playmakers ever, Pirlo was renowned for his vision, ...

. The next month he accepted a pay cut to sign a new 18-month contract, and was quoted as saying he never planned to leave the club as "the fans have taken me in and I love it here". He ended the 2011–12 campaign on 11 goals in 44 games. In summer 2012, the club rejected offers for Hughes from

and former club

. At the beginning of the 2012–13 season, new manager

Keith Curle Keith Curle (born 14 November 1963) is an English football manager and former professional player, who is the current manager of League Two side Hartlepool United. He played as a centre back from 1981 to 2005, notably in the Premier League for ...

stated that "we know he is of an age where he won't be playing for 46 games, so he needs to be managed". New signing

Yoann Arquin Yoann Axel Cyriac Arquin (born 15 April 1988) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre forward for Wuhan and the Martinique national team. Club career France Arquin started his career with Nancy B. Hereford United Former Here ...

became the county's first choice striker, and Hughes announced his intention to leave the club in order to find first team football. He was reported to have joined

on loan, with a view to a permanent move, on 22 November 2012; though the deal had yet to be ratified by the

English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

. However, the next day it was revealed that the loan move would not go through as the relevant paperwork had not been sent in on time. Three weeks later Hughes provided the club with a sick note, saying that he was unavailable until January. His contract was terminated by mutual consent on 7 January 2013.

Port Vale

Hughes joined

the day after securing his exit from Notts County, as the BBC reported that "promotion-chasing boss

Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen-year professional career in the English ...

wants to bring him in to add impetus to a Vale attack who have occasionally misfired this term". He signed a contract to keep him at

until the end of the 2012–13 season, at which point his contract would be extended by 12 months if the "Valiants" were promoted. However Hughes later revealed that Adams was against the transfer but had been overruled by chairman

Norman Smurthwaite Norman Smurthwaite (born 8 August 1960) is an English businessman and former football club chairman. He qualified as an engineer and built a successful business career and property portfolio before retiring at the age of 50. He took over as chair ...

. He marked his debut against the "Gills" with the winning goal that sent Vale to the top of the table. Being partnered with the country's leading goalscorer

Tom Pope Thomas John Pope (born 27 August 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre forward for side Congleton Town. A Crewe Alexandra Academy graduate, he turned professional with the club in 2005 after impressing at non-leag ...

allowed Hughes space in front of goal vacated by opposition defenders attempting to double up on Pope. Hughes scored his first hat-trick for the "Valiants" in a 7–1 home victory over

on 5 April, with two of his goals coming from the penalty spot as he took over from Jennison Myrie-Williams as the club's penalty taker. This performance won him a place on the League Two team of the week. Vale were promoted at the end of the season, with Hughes scoring ten goals in his 18 games, ensuring his contract was extended until summer 2014. He was not a regular starter in the 2013–14 season, especially as

Jordan Hugill Jordan Thomas Hugill (born 4 June 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Rotherham United. A relative late comer to the professional game, he had spells with non-League sides Seaham Red Star, Consett, Wh ...

began to impress from the youth development squad, and so he decided to leave the club in the January transfer window.

Later career

On 3 January 2014, he joined

Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...

side Forest Green Rovers on an 18-month contract. Manager

Adrian Pennock Adrian Barry Pennock (born 27 March 1971) is an English former footballer who played for Norwich City, Molde FK, AFC Bournemouth, Gillingham and Gravesend & Northfleet. He spent two years as Welling United manager before joining Stoke City to ...

stated that "He's come to play football, he's not come for money and I'm chuffed to have him on board. He has the experience we need and I believe he'll score goals." He made his debut six days later in a 1–1 draw with

Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...

The New Lawn The New Lawn, also known as The Bolt New Lawn for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. It has been the home stadium of League One club Forest Green Rovers since 2006. During the 2007–08 season the stadium ...

. On 25 January, he scored his first goals for the club, securing a brace in a 3–0 home win over

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

. He ended the 2013–14 season with eight goals in 21 appearances for Rovers. On the opening day of the 2014–15 season, Hughes scored Forest Green's winning goal in a 1–0 away victory at

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

. He then scored his 300th career goal with his second strike of the season in a 2–0 win over

Alfreton Town Alfreton Town Football Club is a football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England. The club are currently members of and play at North Street. History The club was formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfr ...

at The New Lawn on 16 August 2014. On 30 January 2015, Hughes returned to Conference Premier club

on a deal till the end of the season after having his contract with Forest Green Rovers mutually terminated. On his 'second debut' for Kidderminster, he put his side ahead in a

Worcestershire Senior Cup The Worcestershire Senior Cup (officially ''The Worcestershire Football Association Senior Invitation Cup'') is a football competition organised by the Worcestershire County Football Association. It began in the 1893-94 season, with Redditch Town ...

tie against

Stourbridge Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The ...

. He also scored on his league return against

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...

Aggborough Aggborough Stadium is a football stadium in Kidderminster, England. It is the home ground of Kidderminster Harriers, and has a capacity of 7,000, of which 3,140 can be seated. The ground was also the home of Worcester City between 2013 and 20 ...

, scoring in the 39th minute in a 1–1 draw. He was released at the end of the season as manager Gary Whild's playing budget was reduced by half for the 2015–16 campaign. After impressing in pre season, Hughes signed for

Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...

Premier Division side Ilkeston, and was sent off on his debut against

Skelmersdale United Skelmersdale United Football Club is a football club from Skelmersdale, Lancashire. They are currently members of the and play at The Community Ground, Burscough. The club is a member of both the Liverpool F.A. and the Lancashire County Footba ...

on 15 August 2015. In September 2015, Hughes signed for Worcester City on non-contract terms, who played at Aggborough, the home of Kidderminster Harriers where he started his career. He scored 19 goals in 29 appearances in the 2015–16 campaign. In February 2017, he applied to succeed Carl Heeley as manager. However, he instead left the financially troubled club and moved on to National League North rivals AFC Telford United. In March 2018, Hughes signed for Northern Premier League Premier Division side

as a player. The "Yeltz" ended the 2017–18 season in 23rd-place, before being relegated out of the Southern League Premier Division Central at the end of the 2018–19 campaign. He left Halesowen in August 2019, after losing his place in the starting eleven. Later that month he joined league rivals Mickleover Sports, where he made nineteen league appearances and scored six goals, and then Grantham Town in January 2020, where he scored once in six league appearances. He was reported to have been a target for

just before the 2019–20 season was formally abandoned on 26 March, with all results from the season being expunged, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in England The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases among Chinese nationals staying in a hotel in York on 31 January 2020. The two main public bodies responsible for health in England are NHS England and Public ...

. Hughes also ended up signing with Nuneaton in March 2020, before he announced his retirement a month later, at the age of 43. In October 2021, having made one scoring appearance for Cradley Town, Hughes appeared on the team-list for Stourport Swifts. He remained with the club until the end of the 2021–22 season, scoring four goals in 19 league appearances.

Managerial career

Hughes rejoined Worcester City as both a player and as joint-manager, alongside John Snape, on 4 May 2017; Worcester had just been relegated out of the National League North. He resigned on 6 March 2018. In March 2019, he was appointed caretaker player-manager of Halesowen Town, remaining in the role until May.

Style of play

Describing Hughes's attributes in January 2013, former

coach

Dave Kevan David John Kevan (born 31 August 1968) is a Scottish football coach and former player. A midfielder, he made his debut in the English Football League for Notts County in February 1986. He spent the next four years at the club, also enjoying a b ...

said that he was a "fantastic finisher... a clever player whose movement is good, whose intelligence is good, who uses his body well and who uses his strength well... he plays with his brain and he's adapted his game as he has got older... he's also clever enough to create opportunities for others". He maintained a "natural goalscoring instinct" throughout his career, and has said "I always fancy myself to stick the ball in the back of the net if I get a chance". His dancing goal celebration originated as a mocking tribute of a friend's bad dancing.

Personal life

The son of Bill and Gail Hughes, older brother to Clint and Brett, Hughes worked with his father as a roofer in his home-town of

Smethwick Smethwick () is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire. In 2019, the ward of Smethwick had an estimated population of 15,246, while the wider b ...

before turning professional. In 1999, Sharlene Gillies claimed that she and Hughes had a child together. DNA tests later proved that he was not the father, though by this time his engagement to lap dancer Donna Nisbet was called off. Hughes stated that "I don't think Donna was particularly happy with all the limelight that comes with football", though insisted that barracking from opposition fans only made him more determined to put in a good performance on the pitch. Hughes and Jason Roberts were questioned by police over allegations that they assaulted a man outside a pub in

Brierley Hill Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England, 2.5 miles south of Dudley and 2 miles north of Stourbridge. Part of the Black Country and in a heavily industrialised area, it has a pop ...

; the case was dropped in September 2000. It was reported that he had converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

during his time in prison, due in part to his friendship with Muslim prisoners and the fact that abuse of alcohol had helped to bring about his downfall – his father said that "this story is not true." In 2005 Hughes was reported to be on

suicide watch Suicide watch (sometimes shortened to SW) is an intensive monitoring process used to ensure that any person cannot attempt suicide. Usually the term is used in reference to inmates or patients in a prison, hospital, psychiatric hospital or militar ...

after learning that his wife had reportedly been seeing a younger man. He married air hostess Anna Kuzmanic in June 2000 in the

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

n town of

Trogir Trogir (; historically known as Traù (from Dalmatian language, Dalmatian, Venetian language, Venetian and Italian language, Italian: ); la, Tragurium; Greek language, Ancient Greek: Τραγύριον, ''Tragyrion'' or Τραγούριον, '' ...

. The couple had two children together but split up in 2008; the split was described as "very amicable". His eldest, Mia, was born in November 2000. Hughes was declared

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

in March 2018.

Causing death by dangerous driving conviction

On 23 November 2003, near his home in the

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...

village of

Meriden, West Midlands Meriden is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically, it is part of Warwickshire and lies between the ...

, Hughes lost control of his Mercedes CL55 AMG and went onto the wrong side of the road before colliding with a

Renault Scénic The Renault Scénic () is a car which was produced by French car manufacturer Renault, the first to be labelled as a small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in Europe. The first generation was based on the chassis of the Mégane, a small family car ...

. A passenger in the Renault, Douglas Graham, was killed in the incident, whilst his wife Maureen and the driver Albert Frisby were severely injured. Hughes and passenger Adrian Smith left the scene, before turning themselves in to the police 36 hours later. He was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He denied the charge, though later pleaded guilty to charges of failing to stop and failing to report an accident. During his trial at Coventry Crown Court, Hughes was accused of driving too fast in wet conditions and was described as driving "like a madman". He claimed the brakes on his car had locked, though tests showed that the brakes were in perfect working order and had technology installed to prevent the driver from losing control. When asked where he had been in the 36 hours after leaving the scene of the incident Hughes said that "I would rather not say, really", though later admitted he had travelled 20 miles to

. Prosecutor Melbourne Inman QC told the court Hughes had fled the scene to dodge a breath test. On 9 August 2004, Hughes was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, and was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Frisby said that the sentence was not long enough. Hughes lodged an appeal against the sentence, but not the conviction. In January 2005, his appeal for his sentence to be reduced was refused. He served his time in Category C prisons. During his time in HM Prison Featherstone he played in the

Staffordshire County Senior League The Staffordshire County Senior League is a football competition based in Staffordshire, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of the Midland League (formerly known as the Staffordshire Senior League) and the Staffordshire County League. ...

for the prison football team. He also helped to organise a charity football match which raised £5,000 for a children's hospice. He was released in August 2007, three years into his six-year sentence.

Assault conviction

On 3 December 2011, Hughes was arrested and bailed on charges of sexual assault after an incident in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...

. He was then charged with the offence on 30 January 2012. In May 2012, Hughes was found guilty of common assault and fined £500, but the charge of sexual assault was dropped.

Career statistics

Honours

Notts County *

Football League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football L ...

: 2009–10 Individual *

( First Division): 1998–99 *

Player of the Year: 1998–99 *

Football League Two Player of the Month The EFL League Two Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Originally named the Football League Two Pl ...

: April 2010 *

: 2009–10 League Two

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Lee 1976 births Living people Sportspeople from Smethwick English footballers England semi-pro international footballers Association football forwards Kidderminster Harriers F.C. players Middlesex Wanderers A.F.C. players West Bromwich Albion F.C. players Coventry City F.C. players Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Blackpool F.C. players Notts County F.C. players Port Vale F.C. players Forest Green Rovers F.C. players Ilkeston F.C. players Worcester City F.C. players AFC Telford United players Halesowen Town F.C. players Mickleover Sports F.C. players Grantham Town F.C. players Nuneaton Borough F.C. players Cradley Town F.C. players Stourport Swifts F.C. players National League (English football) players English Football League players Premier League players Northern Premier League players Southern Football League players English prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales English people convicted of assault Association football player-managers English football managers Worcester City F.C. managers Halesowen Town F.C. managers Southern Football League managers Sportspeople convicted of crimes Male criminals