Hughes: Philip Anthony (Phil)

1983-1985 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Manchester: 19-11-1964

Debut: Cardiff City (h): 10-09-1983

5’11” 12st 7lb (1985)

Leeds were quick to move for Hughes when he was released by Manchester United in January 1983, after initially being on the books of Burnley as a young schoolboy, he served his apprenticeship and becoming a member of the Manchester United FA Youth Cup Runners-up team in 1981-82, defeated by Watford 7-6 on aggregate. A Northern Ireland Youth International, qualifying via parentage, Hughes chose to join Leeds United believing there was little chance of a first team breakthrough at Old Trafford. "At that time most clubs only had a couple of goalkeepers, so although I had the chance, I knew that opportunities would be limited. I left and went to Leeds United, where John Lukic and Dave Harvey where the goalkeepers. I had also been offered the chance to go and play for Notts County, but with Leeds being such a big club in the old Second Division then it was the obvious choice. I couldn't believe the size of the club when I got there because they were definitely sleeping giants. I still had a Youth Cup season left in me being eighteen-years-old at the time, and again that was another brilliant young side. Denis Irwin, Terry Phelan, Tommy Wright, John Sheridan and Scott Sellars were all team mates of mine. I stayed there for a couple of seasons and I eventually broke into the first team when Lukic went to Arsenal. But I got injured after a few games and Harvey got put back into the side. They obviously needed to sign another keeper whilst I was on the sidelines, so Mervyn Day joined the club from Aston Villa." was the way Hughes saw the situation at Leeds. His chances at Elland Road, were limited by the presence of Scottish International David Harvey, ensuring that his appearances were limited to just two consecutive League appearances in September 1983, when the durable Harvey missed his only games of the season. He made four more League and one F.A. Cup appearances from late December 1984 to mid January 1985, before the signing of Mervyn Day in late January 1985 season ensured that Hughes had no future in Leeds' first-team. Signed by Bury in June 1985 Hughes established himself immediately in the first-team and despite the Shakers finishing twentieth in Division Three (just three points away from relegation), his consistent performances convinced Billy Bingham to select the former Youth international ahead of George Dunlop for the 1986 World Cup Finals squad. With Pat Jennings retiring after the World Cup in Mexico, Hughes was chosen for Northern Ireland's first game without the legendary goalkeeper, on 15th October 1986 in a European Championship Qualifier. The inexperienced team suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of England, at Wembley, as Hughes became the first, and to date only, Bury goalkeeper to earn caps while with the club. Two further caps were added in the draws with Turkey, 0-0, in another European Championship Qualifier on 12th November 1986 in Izmir at the Ataturk Stadium,and Israel 1-1 in a friendly on 18th February 1987 in Tel Aviv at the National Stadium, later that season. After topping the fifty appearances mark in his first season at Gigg Lane, he had played thirty-two League games in the 1986-87 season before he sustained a shoulder injury which cauded him to miss much of the second half of the season, and in the meantime his Northern Ireland place was taken by George Dunlop, and then Allen McKnight. He never really recovered his form and was allowed to join Wigan Athletic for £35,000, after an initial brief loan, in November 1987. He played eighty League games, nine in the F.A. Cup, nine in the League Cup and five in other games while at Gigg Lane. He arrived at Springfield Park in October 1987 and replaced Roy Tunks in goal after both Dave Redfearn and Nigel Adkins failed to fill the gap. He made his Latics League debut on 3rd November 1987 against Chesterfield at Saltergate and Latics emerged from the game 1-0 winners. Although Wigan were firmly a Third Division side at the time, Hughes was given another chance to play at Wembley, in the Mercantile Credit Football League Centenary Tournament, and saved a penalty to eliminate Sunderland in one of the tournaments many penalty shoot-outs. After ninety-nine League games, five F.A. Cup, two League Cup and seven other games in four years at Springfield Park, Phil Hughes was allowed to join Rochdale in 1991 on a free transfer, he did not play a game and was released by the club and he moved to Fourth Division Scarborough in October 1991, initially on a three month contract, but left the sea-siders in June 1992, after seventeen League, one F.A. Cup, one League Cup and two other games. He suffered a dislocated shoulder and was forced to retire from League football at the young age of twenty-six. He later played for Guiseley in the Northen Premier League for a couple of seasons, before moving to Pontefract Colliers and later combined his job as a policeman with coaching youth football. He was approached by former boss Eddie Gray to coach the Leeds Under-sixteen players within the Academy that was under the charge of Paul Hart and himself in the early 1990's but he rquested that he be allowed to specialise with young goalkeepers. He became the Leeds United goalkeeping coach and brought on Scott Carson to first team standard. He stayed at the Leeds Academy for fifteen years and, as the position was not a full-time one, he later fulfilled a similar position with Grimsby Town where he coached fot two days and spent three days a week at Leeds. At Grimsby he brought on Welsh keeper Danny Coyne and then joined Burnley in the same capacity when Coyne moved there in 2004. On 6th January 2010, he was named Assistant to caretaker Manager, Steve Davis but followed Burnley coach Owen Coyle to Bolton Wanderers four days later and is still the goalkeeping coach at the Reebok.