Despite being a promising young goalkeeper, he failed to obtain a professional contract or make a first team appearance for the club and left in January 1983 to sign for Football League Second Division outfit Leeds United on a free transfer.
[3] Hughes did not play any matches in his first six months at Leeds and during the 1983–84 campaign he appeared in just two first-team games as he remained an understudy to Scotland international goalkeeper David Harvey.
He played four league matches and one FA Cup tie the following season before the signature of Mervyn Day spelled the end of Hughes' Leeds United career.
In spite of the team's poor league position, Hughes was selected for the Northern Ireland squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
He played 21 matches for the club before his career was ended prematurely when he suffered a dislocated shoulder and was forced to retire from professional football at the age of 26.
Following his performances for Bury, manager Billy Bingham included Hughes in the 22-man squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
The shoulder injury he incurred playing for Wigan Athletic kept him out of the Northern Ireland setup and his place in the team was taken by George Dunlop.
[3] He obtained his first coaching job at his former team, Leeds United, where he was hired to train the goalkeepers at the club, including England international Scott Carson.