Andrew Martyn Hughes (born 5 June 1992) is a Welsh 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, rugby lea ...

who plays as a defender for club

Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...

Career

Newport County

Hughes was a part of the

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...

youth system, joining them at the age of 7 before being released at aged 15. Hughes then joined the Newport County Academy and made his Newport County senior debut at the age of 16 on 10 December 2008 in the

Conference South The National League South, officially Vanarama National League South, is a professional Association football league in England. National League South is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest ti ...

league. In the 2011–12 season Hughes played 44 games, more than any other County player that season. He also won County's Young player of the Year award. On 12 May 2012 Hughes played for Newport County in the FA Trophy Final at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

which Newport lost 2–0 to

York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...

. In the 2012–13 season he was part of the Newport team that finished 3rd in the league, reaching the Conference National playoffs. Newport County won the playoff final versus Wrexham at

2–0 to return to the Football League after a 25-year absence with promotion to

Football League Two The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English Football League (EFL ...

. Hughes made his League Cup debut in Newport's 1st round 3–1 win at Brighton on 6 August 2013 as a second-half substitute for the injured

Byron Anthony Byron Joseph Anthony (born 20 September 1984) is a Welsh former professional footballer who is academy manager at Bristol Rovers. Born in Newport, he began his career with Cardiff City, progressing through the club's youth system after signin ...

. He made his Football League debut for Newport in League Two versus Northampton Town on 10 August 2013. He scored his first Football League goal in a 1–1 draw with

Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...

on 31 August 2013. Hughes signed a new deal with the club on 23 October 2013 to the end of the 2014–15 season which was further extended in the summer of 2015 to the end of the 2015–16 season.

Peterborough United

Hughes was offered a new contract by Newport County at the end of the 2015–16 season but chose to move on to

EFL League One The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...

club

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Peterborough United formed in ...

on a two-year deal.

Preston North End

On 21 June 2018, Hughes joined

EFL Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...

club

on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 loss against

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...

on 29 September 2018. On 5 January 2022, Hughes signed a new contract with Preston until 2024. On 19 January 2024, Hughes had the one-year contract extension option exercised and signed until the summer of 2025. On 13 January 2025, Hughes signed an extension to his contract, taking him to the end of the 2025-26 season.

Career statistics

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Andrew 1992 births Living people Footballers from Cardiff Men's association football defenders Newport County A.F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players Preston North End F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players Welsh men's footballers 21st-century Welsh sportsmen