Mark Hughes

Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football manager and former player.

During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, and also played for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as the English clubs Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and finally Blackburn Rovers. He made 72 appearances for Wales scoring 16 goals. He won a host of winners' medals during his playing career, including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups. He also collected an FA Cup runners-up medal and a League Cup runners-up medal. Hughes was the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991, as well as having been the only person to have scored in the FA Community Shield, League Cup final, and FA Cup final in the same season (1993–94). He retired from playing in 2002.

Hughes was appointed manager of Wales in 1999 and remained in the role until 2004. He failed to qualify for a World Cup or European Championship, but came particularly close to securing 2004 European Championship qualification. Hughes then spent four years in charge of Blackburn, guiding them to sixth place in 2005–06. He took charge of Manchester City in June 2008 for a year and a half before spending the 2010–11 season at Fulham. He joined Queens Park Rangers in January 2012, helping them retain their Premier League status in 2011–12. Despite some high-profile signings before the 2012–13 season, Hughes was dismissed in November.

Hughes was appointed manager of Stoke City in May 2013. He guided the club to three consecutive ninth-place Premier League finishes in 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16, followed by 13th in the 2016–17 season. In the 2017–18 season, with the club in the relegation zone, he was dismissed in January 2018, hours after an FA Cup third round exit to League Two side Coventry City. He was appointed manager of 17th-placed Southampton in March, and guided the club to safety at the end of the 2017–18 season, but was dismissed in December with the club 18th in the table. From February 2022 to October 2023 he managed Bradford City in League Two, and from February 2025 to May 2026 he led Carlisle United, overseeing their relegation to the National League.