[2] He was given a new 18-month contract following the conclusion of his initial deal,[3] but found first team opportunities hard to come by after Chris Sutton left the club and Steve Tilson took over.
[citation needed] In May 2011 he was not offered a new contract after a mass clear out of players following the club's relegation from the Football League.
[5] He also had trials at lower-league clubs including Bristol Rovers, where he appeared in a 5–1 pre-season win over local side Mangotsfield United,[6] and Milton Keynes Dons, where he scored in a 6–0 friendly victory against Buckingham Town.
[8] Having spent several months training with Birmingham City, where his father became manager in June 2011, on 29 February 2012 Hughton signed for the club until the end of the season.
[9] He was an unused substitute for the visit to Brighton & Hove Albion, but made no first-team appearances, and was released when his contract expired.