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.

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.

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

[3] 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.

[10] 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.

[14] 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.

[21] 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".

[24] He was partnered with Jason Roberts for the 2000–01 season; the pair went on to score 40 goals between them to help secure the "Baggies" a play-off place.

[29] Hughes was sold to Gordon Strachan's Coventry City for a club record transfer fee of £5,000,001 (the unusual figure was because any offer exceeding £5 million would trigger an escape clause in his West Brom contract) in August 2001.

[32] Hughes scored 14 goals in 40 games, including a hat-trick in a 6–1 win at Crewe Alexandra, and finished the 2001–02 season as the club's top-scorer.

[35][36] Despite being a regular in the first-team, Hughes failed to score a single Premier League goal in the 2002–03 season and Albion were relegated in 19th place with just six wins and 26 points from 38 matches.

[37] Hughes was criticised by several teammates following the club's 1–0 defeat by Everton at Goodison Park, though was publicly backed by manager Gary Megson.

[40] He rediscovered his form back in the First Division, scoring 12 goals in 36 games in 2003–04 as West Brom secured promotion with a second-place finish.

[41] His contract at West Bromwich Albion was immediately terminated in August 2004, following his conviction for causing death by dangerous driving.

[48] He recovered quickly from the procedure and registered his first two goals for the Latics in a 3–0 win over AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court on 25 November,[49] before being named in the "League One Team of the Week".

[55][56] He was linked with a move to Doncaster Rovers in January 2009, but stayed put after talks with manager John Sheridan, who insisted Hughes was "very happy" at Oldham.

[66] Hughes signed for League Two team Notts County on a two-year contract on 22 July 2009, on the same day that Sven-Göran Eriksson arrived at the club as director of football.

[76][77] He finished as the division's top-scorer in 2009–10 with 30 league goals in 39 games, and was named on the PFA Team of the Year alongside teammates Kasper Schmeichel and Ben Davies.

[84] The club again went through a succession of managers – Craig Short, Paul Ince and then Martin Allen – and ended the season three points above the relegation zone.

[8][88] The next month he accepted a pay cut to sign a new 18-month contract, and was quoted as saying he never planned to leave the club as "the fans have taken me in and I love it here".

[93] New signing Yoann Arquin became the county's first choice striker, and Hughes announced his intention to leave the club to find first-team football.

[94] He was reported to have joined Port Vale on loan, with a view to a permanent move, on 22 November 2012; though the deal had yet to be ratified by the English Football League.

[104] Vale were promoted at the end of the season, with Hughes scoring ten goals in his 18 games, ensuring his contract was extended until summer 2014.

[112] On 30 January 2015, Hughes returned to Conference Premier club Kidderminster Harriers on a deal till the end of the season after having his contract with Forest Green Rovers mutually terminated.

[116] In September 2015, Hughes signed for Worcester City on non-contract terms, who played at Aggborough, the home of Kidderminster Harriers, where he started his career.

[118] However, he instead left the financially troubled club and moved on to National League North rivals AFC Telford United.

[141] Hughes stated that "I don't think Donna was particularly happy with all the limelight that comes with football", though insisted that barracking from opposition fans only made him more determined to put in a good performance on the pitch.

[142] Hughes and Jason Roberts were questioned by police over allegations that they assaulted a man outside a pub in Brierley Hill; the case was dropped in September 2000.

[148] On 23 November 2003, near his home in the Warwickshire village of Meriden, West Midlands, Hughes lost control of his Mercedes CL55 AMG[149] and went onto the wrong side of the road before colliding with a Renault Scénic.

[156] Prosecutor Melbourne Inman QC told the court Hughes had fled the scene to dodge a breath test.