Lee Hughes

Lee Hughes (born 22 May 1976) is an English former professional footballer.

A strong striker with excellent finishing abilities, Hughes represented the England semi-professional team once in 1996.

After being released as a youth team footballer, Hughes worked as a roofer alongside his father.

Although Hughes scored 34 goals in the 1996–97 season, Kidderminster failed to gain promotion to the Football League after finishing five points behind champions Macclesfield Town.

At this point in his career Hughes was regarded as one of England's finest semi-professionals and was called up to the England national football C team.

In total, Hughes scored 70 goals in 139 games for Kidderminster in all competitions.

He also played for amateur touring side Middlesex Wanderers during their tour of Vietnam whilst he was aged 19.

He started his career in the Conference with Kidderminster Harriers, before winning a £380,000 move to boyhood club West Bromwich Albion in August 1997.

Hughes was sold to West Bromwich Albion for an initial £200,000 – incentives later took the final sum up to £380,000 – in August 1997.

He said "It was a dream to join the team I have supported all my life".

The Daily Mirror printed that "Hughes has red hair, tattoos of a Tasmanian devil and a British bulldog on his forearms, dynamite in his boots and Albion in his blood."

Fans affectionately nicknamed him the "Ginger Ninja".

He made his debut at The Hawthorns as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Tranmere Rovers on 9 August 1997.

Seven days later he scored two goals from the bench in a 3–2 win over Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.

Though signed by Ray Harford, he came to the fore under new boss Denis Smith.

Smith handed Hughes his first start on 28 December, in a 1–1 home draw with Stoke City.

He finished his debut season as the club's top-scorer with 14 goals in 41 appearances, and was rewarded with a new four-year contract.

He finished as the club's top-scorer for four seasons running, earning a place on the PFA Team of the Year in 1998–99 after finishing as the highest scorer in the top four divisions of English football.

He started the 1998–99 season in fine form, and claimed his first ever hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Port Vale at Vale Park on 22 August.

Despite having recently signed a long-term contract, his form and goal record led to constant rumours of a big money move to a host of Premier League clubs.

West Brom eventually issued a "hands-off" warning to other clubs.

He claimed further hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town, and finished the season with 32 goals in 45 games.

This tally left him as the country's top-scorer.

He was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the First Division.

He then submitted a written transfer request, and his spokesman told the press that there have "been a number of things going on behind the scenes which have unsettled him recently".

He was sold to Coventry City for £5 million in August 2001, before returning to West Brom for half of that figure twelve months later.

He failed to impress in the Premier League as Albion suffered relegation but helped the club to make an immediate return to the top-flight as runners-up in the First Division in 2003–04.

In August 2004, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal crash on 23 November 2003.

Following his release from prison in 2007, he returned to the professional game with Oldham Athletic of League One.

He signed for Notts County in July 2009, and was named on the PFA Team of the Year after scoring 30 league goals as the club won the League Two title in 2009–10.

He left Notts County to sign for Port Vale in January 2013 and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13.

In January 2014, he signed for Forest Green Rovers on an 18-month deal.

In January 2015, he returned to Kidderminster Harriers, and moved on to Ilkeston and then Worcester City in the summer.

He continued to be a prolific goalscorer into his 40s and signed with AFC Telford United in February 2017.

He began his management career as joint-manager of Worcester City, alongside John Snape, in May 2017.

In March 2018, he joined Halesowen Town as a player, where he remained until moving on to Mickleover Sports in August 2019.

He later played for Grantham Town, Nuneaton Borough, Cradley Town and Stourport Swifts.

Hughes spent four years at West Bromwich Albion as a schoolboy from ages 11 to 15, though was not offered a youth team contract.

He then had unsuccessful trials at numerous clubs, though came close to being offered a contract by Swansea City.

He instead started his career playing semi-professionally for Conference club Kidderminster Harriers, whilst holding down a part-time job as a roofer.