Aaron William Hughes was born on 8 November 1979 and is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a defender.
26 Facts About Aaron Hughes
2.
Aaron Hughes is renowned for his disciplined defending, having made 455 Premier League appearances without getting sent off, which is the second-most in the history of the league, behind only Ryan Giggs.
3.
Aaron Hughes began his career with Newcastle United, making his debut in 1997 and playing 279 games for the club across all competitions.
4.
Aaron Hughes spent six-and-a-half seasons at Fulham, reaching the UEFA Europa League final in 2010.
5.
Aaron Hughes made his full international debut aged 18 in 1998 and has earned 112 caps for Northern Ireland, the third most in the nation's history, behind Steven Davis and goalkeeper Pat Jennings.
6.
Aaron Hughes captained the national team from 2003 up to international retirement in 2011, but returned to the team the following year and was included in their squad for UEFA Euro 2016.
7.
On 27 June 2007, Aaron Hughes was announced as a new signing for Premier League side Fulham.
8.
On 4 December 2009, Aaron Hughes signed a new deal with the club which would see him remain at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2013.
9.
On 14 September 2012, Aaron Hughes signed a one-year contract extension with Fulham, keeping him at the club until 2014.
10.
Manager Harry Redknapp signed him on a short-term deal until the end of the season, saying that Aaron Hughes would be useful in a defence suffering from injuries, while the player himself refuted suggestion that he was taking a step down in his career.
11.
Aaron Hughes only played 13 matches across all competitions, and did not feature at all after January 2015.
12.
On 13 July 2015, it was announced that Aaron Hughes had signed a one-year contract for Melbourne City of the A-League.
13.
Aaron Hughes credited Damien Duff, his former Fulham teammate, with persuading him to make the move.
14.
Aaron Hughes was released by Melbourne City on 28 April 2016.
15.
On 28 July 2016, it was announced that Aaron Hughes would join the Kerala Blasters of the Indian Super League as their marquee player for the 2016 season.
16.
Aaron Hughes helped the Kochi-based team to the final, which they lost on penalties at home to Atletico de Kolkata.
17.
Aaron Hughes signed for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian on 9 January 2017, agreeing a contract due to run until the end of the season.
18.
Aaron Hughes made his debut 13 days later in a Scottish Cup fourth round match away to Raith Rovers, in which BBC Sport described him as having "the composure of a Northern Ireland centurion despite his advancing years".
19.
Aaron Hughes made his debut for Northern Ireland on 25 March 1998, against Slovakia.
20.
Aaron Hughes first captained his country on 17 April 2002, against Spain in Belfast.
21.
Aaron Hughes was the regular captain from 2003 until his retirement in 2011, leading the team in notable wins over England, Spain and Sweden.
22.
Aaron Hughes announced his retirement from international football in September 2011; injury meant that he could not play in the final Euro 2012 qualifying matches, so he retired on 79 caps.
23.
Ahead of UEFA Euro 2016, Aaron Hughes became the first Northern Irish outfield player to earn 100 caps when he came on as a 30th-minute substitute for the injured Craig Cathcart in a goalless friendly away to Slovakia on 4 June.
24.
Aaron Hughes is married to Samantha, with whom he has two daughters.
25.
Aaron Hughes has a younger brother, Ian, who is a competitive field hockey player.
26.
Aaron Hughes was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to football.