Mark Hughes
Welsh striker and manager, two-time PFA Player of the Year, scored in both domestic cup finals in 1993–94.
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football manager and former player. During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, and also played for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as the English clubs Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and finally Blackburn Rovers. He made 72 appearances for Wales scoring 16 goals. He won a host of winners' medals during his playing career, including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups. He also collected an FA Cup runners-up medal and a League Cup runners-up medal. Hughes was the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991, as well as having been the only person to have scored in the FA Community Shield, League Cup final, and FA Cup final in the same season (1993–94). He retired from playing in 2002.
- First United Debut Goal
- 1983–84 season (vs Oxford United)
- PFA Player of the Year Wins
- 2 (1989, 1991)
- Goals in 1985–86 League Season
- 17
- Return to United Fee
- £1.8 million (May 1988)
- Unique Scoring Record
- Scored in Community Shield, League Cup final, and FA Cup final in 1993–94
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Born in Ruabon, Denbighshire, Hughes joined Manchester United after leaving school in the summer of 1980. He made his first team debut in the 1983–84 season, scoring in a 1–1 draw away to Oxford United in the League Cup. He eventually broke into the first team in April 1984. The following season he scored 25 goals in 55 matches as United won the FA Cup. In the 1985–86 season he scored 17 league goals, his highest league tally. In summer 1986 he was sold to Barcelona for £2 million, but scored only 5 times in 37 games. He was loaned to Bayern Munich for the 1987–88 season, where he regained his form. In May 1988 he returned to Manchester United for £1.8 million. He was voted PFA Player of the Year in 1989 and 1991. He scored twice in the 1990 FA Cup final replay. He scored both goals in the 1991 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Barcelona. He won the Premier League in 1992–93 and scored in the Community Shield and League Cup final in 1993–94.
In Their Own Story
Upon his return in the 1988–89 season, Hughes was voted PFA Player of the Year, becoming the first Manchester United player to receive the honor since its inception. He shared the top scorer title with Brian McClair, netting 16 goals as United finished third after a erratic campaign that saw them go ten league matches without a win in autumn before recovering late. The 1989–90 season was defined by resilience; Hughes scored twice in the 3–3 draw against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, and although it ended in a replay, a Lee Martin goal secured United's first major trophy in five years. Hughes topped the scoring charts again with 15 goals across all competitions. The following year proved triumphant on the European stage; Hughes scored both goals in the 2–1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final victory over Barcelona in Rotterdam, finishing as the club's top scorer with 21 goals despite Brian McClair and Steve Bruce outscoring him in the league. United also reached the League Cup final but lost 1–0 to Sheffield Wednesday. In a season that saw Hughes voted PFA Player of the Year for the second time (1991), he scored his fourth United hat-trick against Southampton in a League Cup quarter-final replay.
Reader's Guide
Hughes was appointed manager of Wales in 1999 and remained until 2004. He then managed Blackburn Rovers for four years, guiding them to sixth place in 2005–06. He took charge of Manchester City in June 2008 for a year and a half, then spent the 2010–11 season at Fulham. He joined Queens Park Rangers in January 2012, helping them retain Premier League status in 2011–12, but was dismissed in November 2012. He managed Stoke City from May 2013, achieving three consecutive ninth-place finishes, then 13th in 2016–17. He was dismissed in January 2018. He managed Southampton from March 2018, guiding them to safety, but was dismissed in December 2018. From February 2022 to October 2023 he managed Bradford City, and from February 2025 to May 2026 he led Carlisle United, overseeing their relegation to the National League.
Did You Know?
- Hughes was the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991.
- He scored in the FA Community Shield and League Cup final in the 1993–94 season, but not in the FA Cup final.
- His first goal for Manchester United came in a 1–1 draw away to Oxford United in the League Cup.
- The fee for his return to Manchester United in 1988 was £1.8 million, but it is unclear if this was a club record.
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