Latest news with #AaronHughes
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Peacock, Taylor, Hayden? Your most underrated Newcastle players
We asked for your views on former Newcastle defender John Anderson's top five most underrated Magpies players of all time. Anderson's list was: 5. Andy Griffin4. Kevin Gallagher3. Shola Ameobi2. Sean Longstaff1. Aaron are some of your thoughts:Darren: Darren Peacock played for Toon as a centre-back in the Kevin Keegan days and was often the only defender doing his job. The concept of 'rest defence' just was not a thing with the Keegan teams and poor Darren was frequently left cruelly exposed as Steve Watson, Rob Elliot and Philippe Albert would all go charging up field. But he did a stalwart job amid very unfair criticism from the usual Monday morning midfield Still annoys me that we let Aaron Hughes go for peanuts and replaced him with Jean-Alain Boumsong, who cost a fortune and was much Can't argue with John Anderson's picks for the great under-appreciated but I would try to push Scott Sellars in there somewhere. Him, David Kelly, John Bracewell and Barry Venison set the foundations for King Kev's entertainersAndrew: If Shola Ameobi made the list, surely so should Steve Harper. A club legend, who all fans liked! But, how about a punt for Steven Taylor? At his peak, he was a starter for the team and super reliable. He also gave us an entire career. But he never got a chance to prove his talent for England, even when at his peak. Final shout out for Isaac Hayden. He was ultra reliable. Sad how it ended with Ando is a legend so by and large I agree with his choices. But, James Milner deserves a mention. Went on to have an unbelievable career, still going, has won everything there is at club level and could have made so much difference to a very modest team for so many 1. Gaza 2. Beardsley 3. Waddle 4. Malcolm MacDonald 5. Andy Cole. The club underrated them all by letting them go. Fortunately, PIF have more sense!
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Should never have let him go' - is this Newcastle's most underrated player?
Earlier on Friday, we revealed numbers five to two in former defender John Anderson's list of this century's most underrated Newcastle players. And now it's time to tell you his 'winner'.In first place, he has gone for defender Aaron Hughes, who made the 278 appearances for the Toon between 1997 and 2005."He was so underrated," Anderson told a BBC Radio Newcastle special. "He was a great player who could play all across the back four or as a holding midfielder. He had a great attitude and work-rate."It's only when you lose someone like him that you start to think how good he was. "He went to Aston Villa and was outstanding at Fulham. We should have never let him go. He was a top player. He was a quiet lad who went about his business and who did everything right on and off the pitch."So to recap Anderson's list: 5. Andy Griffin4. Kevin Gallagher3. Shola Ameobi2. Sean Longstaff1. Aaron do you make of the selections? Did Anderson miss any players out?Get in touch with your views here And listen to the full rundown and the reasons behind the selections on BBC Sounds here
BBC News
26-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hughes expects training centre to have 'huge' impact
Irish Football Association technical director Aaron Hughes has said the newly announced National Training Centre could make a "huge" difference in developing the country's next Wednesday, the IFA confirmed plans to build a new facility on a 50-acre site in Galgorm, near Ballymena. Having found a location for the facility, Hughes says it marks the "first step" in a new journey for Northern Irish football. "As a young player coming through, if you had something like this, you'd want to come and train at it, you'd want to be a part of it," said Hughes. "You'd feel you'd be able to follow in the footsteps of the players ahead. I think last year, when our under-17s were in St George's in the elite rounds, the England senior team were staying there at the same time."Former Northern Ireland captain Hughes, who was appointed IFA technical director in late 2022, added: "For our young players to be able to train and perform alongside the senior players and maybe create opportunities like that, it's what we've been missing for so long." Subject to planning permission, the IFA hopes to have up to six training pitches at the new facility, one of which would be covered, in addition to treatment rooms and meeting rooms. For Hughes, having a settled base for their teams will mean greater control and far fewer logistical headaches. "It's a constant struggle we have at the moment, finding facilities," added the former Newcastle and Fulham defender."If you want to start with our senior teams, you're trying to find facilities that are adequate for high performance and it's not always easy. "Even trying to find slots for training, borrowing off other people and using their facility and you're always having to work around the logistical side of it, even from the point of view of the travel time. "There are so many logistical details that we'll solve by having it all onsite." NTC will be 'vital' for women's football IFA director of women's football Angela Platt hailed Wednesday's announcement as a "milestone moment" for Northern Irish football. She added that the National Training Centre will be particularly beneficial for the women's teams who have been "living a nomadic existence"."The live example is the recent international camp where our women's team had to locate to Leicester to prepare in those elite facilities."From our perspective, we want to make sure we're locating ourselves in Northern Ireland and actually preparing the best we can. "It's going to make a huge difference to our pathaway. Under one roof, somewhere we all belong in terms of that international experience. Elite facilities for our players and inspiring the next generation to want to put on the green jersey."Platt hopes that having a recognised base with top facilities will help Northern Ireland to stay competitive with the nations they are facing in matches. "I've travelled a huge amount during my time with the IFA - I see other nations with good class facilities and I see the progress those nations are making, and we're competing with them. "It's vital for the women's game. It's something we've never had - to train at a good facility. It should bring another dimension to our game."
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Aaron Hughes: National Football Centre can help Northern Ireland create identity
Irish FA technical director Aaron Hughes believes a National Football Centre can be a game-changer for Northern Ireland's international fortunes after plans to build the new facility near Ballymena were unveiled on Wednesday. The IFA has secured a 50-acre site opposite the Galgorm resort where it plans to build a 'state-of-the-art, multi-million pound' campus that will serve all levels from national teams to grassroots programmes, with a goal of opening the doors for the first time in 2028. After a wide-ranging search for a suitable site, Wednesday's announcement is a significant concrete step in realising an ambition which dates back more than a decade, to create what will be the leading football facility in the country. 'You're trying to align everything, to create your own identity, culture, your own space that you can call home,' Hughes told the PA news agency. 'When people drive through the gates, you're creating that environment that speaks for itself before a ball's even been kicked.' Artists impressions revealed on Wednesday show four outdoor pitches and one indoor facility, but Hughes said those are purely to give a rough idea for now. Having secured a site, the next job is to work out how to best make use of the available space. 'It's got to serve different levels,' Hughes added. 'For our senior international players coming in from maybe some of the training grounds (in the Premier League and Championship), they've got to feel like they're walking into something that is not less than what they're used to. 'They've got to feel like they're walking into a high-performance environment. But our senior players are probably going to use it the least because they're only in and out of camps. So then it has to serve your daily programmes, youth teams, and to cover all aspects of football.' The goal is to create a joined-up approach which delivers long-term results for the game at all levels in Northern Ireland and, ultimately, in the performance of the national team. 'From having casual conversations with people at other federations, I've often asked the question, 'Can you quantify how a National Football Centre helps in terms of success?'' Hughes said. 'The answer, when you can't put a number on it, it maybe wasn't solely responsible for the success they had, it certainly played a huge, huge role in it and so I've no doubt it'll do the same for us.' And for a nation that draws so many international players through eligibility pathways, Hughes believes the new facility can prove decisive in a number of recruiting battles. 'I think that's a really key point, that with young players and some of the facilities they are used to training at, you want them to come in and feel there's certainly not a step down or a step backwards,' he said. 'If they're coming into a squad or an environment, you want that culture and identity that they can really relate to and feel at home. 'I think it can only help when it comes to recruiting eligibility players and showcasing who we are, what we have and what we can offer them, even outside of the proposition of playing for our national teams.'
