Early career Hughes, a much travelled player, began his football career with
Tolka Rovers during the 1999–2000 season, scoring nine goals in 22 appearances. Initially playing at intermediate level, he made the step up to
League of Ireland football with
St. Francis at the beginning of the
2000–01 season. Hughes was signed by
St. Patrick's Athletic later that season. First team opportunities at
Richmond Park became difficult to obtain for Hughes resulting in his departure on loan to
First Division Kilkenny City during the
2001–02 season. Hughes scored 15 goals in 20 games for Kilkenny that season. His performances with Kilkenny saw him recalled to St. Patrick's Athletic, but yet again first team opportunities were limited for Hughes.
Kildare County, Dublin City and UCD Hughes departed St. Pats at the end of the
2002–03 campaign, to join
Kildare County for the first summer soccer season of 2003. He became a regular in the county side that season helping them to a fifth-place finish in the First Division with a contribution of 10 goals in 33 league appearances. Hughes departed County after that season to join
Dublin City, who had achieved promotion to the
League of Ireland Premier Division for the
2004 season. It was a difficult season for Hughes as scored just three goals in 20 appearances for the struggling Vikings, and he was initially released along with 14 other players by new Dublin City manager
Roddy Collins in a mid-season cull. Hughes joined First Division
UCD on loan for the remainder of the 2004 season, where he scored three goals in 12 appearances to help the UCD to promotion to the Premier Division.
Monaghan United and Dundalk Hughes' next destination was
First Division Monaghan United for the
2005 season. He scored eight goals in 25 appearances that season for Monaghan United before joining his former manager at Kilkenny, Kildare and Dublin City, John Gill at First Division promotion chasing
Dundalk. Hughes made his Dundalk debut on the first day of the
2006 League of Ireland First Division season in a 2–1 defeat away to
Shamrock Rovers at
Tolka Park on 10 March 2006. He went on to score 21 goals that season for Dundalk, helping them to a second-place finish and a play-off victory over
Waterford United. Despite that victory, Dundalk did not achieve promotion as they failed to qualify on criteria for the FAI's revamped
Premier Division. Hughes' 2006 season attracted interest from several Premier Division clubs including
Bohemians, but despite this interest, Hughes chose to remain at Dundalk for the
2007 First Division season. The 2007 campaign started brightly for Hughes and Dundalk as they set the pace in the First Division up to the mid-season point. Hughes lost form and struggled for fitness for the remainder of the season and his goal tally was only at six goals by the end of the season.
Shelbourne and Kildare County Hughes was released by Dundalk immediately after the conclusion of the 2007 season, but he did not wait long to find a new club when he joined
Shelbourne on 29 November 2007. He made his Shelbourne debut in a scoreless draw against his former club Dundalk at Tolka Park on 7 March 2008. Hughes once again struggled for fitness at Shelbourne and as a consequence he was restricted to mainly substitute appearances. He departed the club on 14 July 2008, after just half a season to rejoin his former club
Kildare County. Following the conclusion of the 2008 season, Hughes departed Kildare County to join
Leinster Senior League Senior Division outfit
Phoenix F.C. but the striker returned to County on 4 June 2009 for a third spell. In his third spell at Kildare County, he scored 7 goals in 19 league appearances. Kildare County went into liquidation shortly before their final game of 2009 against Shelbourne and following the resignation of Kildare manager Joey Summerville, Hughes took the managers role for the club's final game in football.
Return to Monaghan United and Shelbourne On 21 December 2009, it was announced by
Monaghan United that Hughes would be returning to the club for a second spell in the 2010 season. Hughes carried forward his recaptured form in 2009 to Monaghan, and scored 22 goals in 44 competitive games. Monaghan narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier Division after a play-off defeat to
Bray Wanderers. At the end of 2010 season, Hughes once again moved club this time joining Monaghan United teammate Barry Clancy at
Shelbourne for his second spell at the
Tolka Park club. Hughes signed a new contract with
Shelbourne in November 2012 despite being offered more money by
Drogheda United and
Bohemians. At the end of the
2012 League of Ireland season Hughes was joint seventeenth in the all-time League of Ireland goalscoring list with 130 league goals
St Patrick's Athletic loan Hughes was announced as St Patrick's Athletic second summer signing on 2 July 2013 on
loan from
Dublin rivals Shelbourne. Hughes was given the number 27 shirt and made his first appearance since his return to the club on 4 July, in the
Europa League away to
Žalgiris at the
LFF Stadium in
Vilnius, Lithuania.
Drogheda and Bray Wanderers Hughes agreed to join
Drogheda United for the 2014
League of Ireland season, but midway through the season he signed for
Bray Wanderers. ==References==