Sam Hughes

2015–16 season: Breakthrough He made his senior debut on 12 September in a 2–0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers. In November, he was briefly transferred to Division One North side Witton Albion for one-month loan, returning to Chester following 5 appearances. He signed a contract extension in March. He scored his first league goals for Chester on 8 March 2016, scoring a brace in an 8–2 win over Aldershot Town. Hughes was heavily involved with the team, although a concussion meant that he missed the last three games of the season.

2016–17 season: Establishment in first team quote="It's a massive moment for me, I didn't expect it one little bit to be honest. The gaffer told me on Thursday after training and said he wanted me to be captain. I am very proud and privileged to be given the opportunity, it's a massive, massive moment to lead the team out so it was really good." — Hughes on captaining Chester. He scored his first goal of the season on 17 September 2016, in a 1–0 win over Braintree Town. Jon McCarthy praised Hughes for his performance after the match. Hughes formed a defensive partnership with Ryan Astles, and had a run of seven clean sheets in a row. On 3 March 2017, he captained Chester in a 3–2 defeat against Tranmere, making him the youngest captain in Chester's history at age 19.

He finished the season with 39 appearances and 3 goals, winning the CFU Player of the Season chosen among Chester players and voted by the fans of the club. By the end of the 2010s decade, he was inducted into Chester's Team of the Decade, in total making 64 appearances and scoring 8 goals with Chester.

Leicester City As his contract was expiring in the summer, Chester offered Hughes a new contract, he looked to "explore" his options with interest from Championship clubs. He eventually chose Premier League club Leicester City in July 2017, signing a three-year contract with Hughes to play in their development squad for an undisclosed fee in compensation—although The Leader newspaper reported the fee to be around £130,000 including add-ons. The fee was the biggest in Chester's history after reformation. Leicester signed Hughes to play in their development squad. After suffering an injury in pre-season and recovering, he quickly became a regular for the development squad. He had a successful first season with Leicester, captaining the development team and also being the top-scorer despite playing centre-back. He also made the bench on two occasions for the first-team, although was an unused substitute. however, he would not return on the pitch until February 2019 for a 1–0 defeat to Derby County.

Loan spells While still with Leicester, Hughes joined newly promoted League Two side Salford City on a season-long loan in September 2019. He made his debut on 7 September in a 2–2 draw to Morecambe. He was recalled by Leicester in January following 10 appearances in all competitions for Salford.

He extended his contract with Leicester in the summer of 2020. On 9 October 2020, Hughes was loaned to EFL League One club Burton Albion until January 2021. He made his full debut the following day in a 2–0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle. Hughes faced a red card after picking up two yellow cards in a 2–0 defeat to Hull City on 14 November.

He scored his first goal for Burton in a 4–2 win against Charlton Athletic on 24 November, and by that time has formed a partnership with fellow defender Michael Bostwick. On 19 December, Hughes was substituted off early in a 3–1 defeat against Doncaster Rovers. After a scan, it was revealed that Hughes had suffered a long-term knee injury, and would return to Leicester for the remainder of the season for treatment. Hughes had made 14 appearances and scored twice before his loan was cut short.

On 31 August 2021, it was announced that Hughes had returned to Burton on loan, while still not ready to play but at his final stage of rehabilitation. He started his first match for Burton in his second loan spell on 15 January 2022, in a 3–1 win over Gillingham in place of Conor Shaughnessy. It was also his first appearance in over a year, and was hailed by manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for settling in quickly. He made 21 appearances with 1 goal for Burton in the 2021–22 season, and also had a good disciplinary record with only one yellow card.

Hughes' first appearance of the 2022–23 season came in the opening match on 6 August 2022 played against Bristol Rovers, which ended in a 4–0 defeat. He scored his first goal of the season on 25 October in a 2–1 loss against Bolton Wanderers. On 26 December, he scored again in a 3–0 win over Lincoln City, playing the entire match with an ankle injury. Due to his injury he was predicted to spend three months in rehabilitation, but made his return sooner on 28 January 2023 as a starting player in a 2–0 victory over Oxford United. At the end of the season, Hughes had scored 3 times and made 49 appearances, the most he had ever made in a season. He was also named as Burton's Player of the Year, with a club record 40% of the votes.

Hughes started the 2023–24 season opener on 5 August 2023, in a 2–0 defeat to Blackpool. He sustained a calf injury in October, and made his return on 28 November in a 2–0 loss against Portsmouth. On 10 January 2024, in a 2–1 defeat against Blackpool in the EFL Trophy, Hughes picked up a knock and was substituted off in the first half. He would not play again until 23 March, coming on as a substitute for Aristote Nsiala in a 1–0 defeat against Port Vale. It was also his first appearance under new manager Martin Paterson. The absence of John Brayford saw Hughes captaining the team towards the end of the season. Hughes finished the season with 32 appearances. but Hughes wanted "a fresh start, a new challenge" and chose to depart with in total 117 appearances and 6 goals for Burton.

Stockport County On 1 July 2024, it was announced that Hughes had signed for League One club Stockport County on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal. He made his debut in the season opener on 10 August against Cambridge United, which finished in a 2–0 win. He captained Stockport in a 6–1 defeat against Blackburn Rovers played in the EFL Cup on 13 August. However, he came off in the first half after taking a knock. By January 2025, Hughes had made only three league starts in eight appearances, and demanded more gametime.

On 16 January 2025, Hughes joined Peterborough United on a loan until the end of the 2024–25 season. His debut came on 18 January, starting in a 0–0 draw against Leyton Orient and helping Peterborough to their first league clean sheet of the season. Team-mate Carl Johnston hailed Hughes on his debut, stating, "Big Sam was a leader out there and a big voice, he was fantastic." Hughes would also captain the side, despite being a loan player. He won the January Player of the Month for Peterborough and scored his first goal for Peterborough on 22 March in a 3–0 win over Charlton Athletic. Hughes was cup-tied as Peterborough won the 2024–25 EFL Trophy by beating Birmingham City 2–0 in the final on 13 April. He finished his loan with 19 appearances and 1 goal. He was out at the start of the season however, due to an achilles injury he suffered in pre-season.

Style of play Hughes was originally a midfielder before being converted to centre-back in the 2016–17 season. He has been described as "a dying breed – an old school centre-half who wants to get stuck in, head it and kick it". Peterborough describes him as "a good organiser, decent in the tackle and a threat from set-pieces." Scottish football manager Darren Ferguson also acclaimed Hughes for his aerial ability and "outstanding" characteristics, standing at 187 cm.

Career statistics

Honours Individual Burton Albion Player of the Year: 2022–23