Hughes, John (1995-96)

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Note: There has been more than one player to play for Celtic with the same name. So please check the other namesakes if need be.

Personal

Fullname: John Hughes
aka: Yogi
Born: 9 September 1964
Birthplace: Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Height: 6ft (1.83m)
Signed: 7 Aug 1995 (from Falkirk £380k)
Left: 1 Nov 1996 (to Hibs £250k)
Position: Defender, Centre-half
Debut: […]
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps 0
International Goals 0

Biog

John Hughes was signed by Celtic boss Tommy Burns for est £380k in the summer of 1995 in a bid to add some much needed steel to a fragile back line.

While Tommy Burns’ side possessed attacking flair in abundance they too readily leaked goals to mount a serious title challenge. With this in mind John Hughes was recruited as a no nonsense old-fashioned centre-half who was not afraid to let opponents or team-mates know of his presence.

A solid but ultimately limited player, John Hughes certainly never let anyone down in terms of commitment. He was a consistent performer who gave his all and played his part in the 1995-96 season as a regular.

His highlight was when he scored in a 1-1 game v Rangers at Ibrox, where in a wonderful picture you could see the emotion in his face to tell just how much it meant to him, and the support loved him for it.

However his determination and battling qualities couldn’t disguise the lack of pace and genuine class needed to be a top quality centre-half. He was an old-fashioned back to basics type of player, and in truth Celtic did needed someone like him at the time as the club was still rebuilding.

Having been a regular in the side in his first season, after the 2-0 defeat by Rangers in September 1996, he was dropped to the bench and didn’t feature again in the first team. Some complained that this was misplaced, but he had an injury and already he was marked to be on his way out.

He was soon sold to Hibernian for £250k in 1996 after 42 appearances and two goals as a Celt. He deserved a better final match than that of the defeat by Rangers, but he should be remembered best for his good form for Celtic as a whole in his time in his first season. Sadly he would leave without any silverware from his time at Celtic.

Some would say he was finding it harder to hold down a regular first team slot and Hibernian were in need of defenders. However, he still managed to play in the first team for the bulk of his time at the club plus those who were replacing him were not always the better players.

Manager Tommy Burns said of him:

“John Hughes is the perfect example of a guy who has worked hard and given everything to the game. He’s a credit to his family and every hard-working pro, a throwback to the old days when players gave all for their team. The job Yogi did for us went beyond all expectations – he came as a squad player, yet became a fixture for 14 months. But he’s a Hibee and lives on the club’s doorstep. It’s an opportunity for him to make a few bob and I must admit I love to see a guy such as Hughes doing well.”

Post Celtic
John Hughes landed his first managerial job in 2003 when he was appointed co-manager of Scottish First Division side Falkirk along with then team-mate Owen Coyle. However, Owen Coyle subsequently left Falkirk to join Ian McCall at Dundee United, leaving John Hughes in sole charge.

John Hughes then guided Falkirk to promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2005 where they became a safe mid-table side (finishing 7th in seasons 2006–07 and 2007–08) until his last season of 2008-09 where they avoided relegation on the last day with a 1-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle (who went down instead).

That same season John Hughes’ Falkirk created history by qualifying for the UEFA Europa League for the first time in their existence after making their way to the Scottish Cup final. Shortly after the season ended John Hughes was announced as the new manager of Hibernian, the team he supported as a boy, before moving onto other clubs for management (inc Livingston, Hartlepool, Inverness Caley, Raith Rovers and Ross County.

He managed Inv Caley Thistle to their first major honour, the Scottish Cup in 2014-15, beating Falkirk 2-1 in the final. An irony for John Hughes after having been so heavily tied with them through his sporting life previously.

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Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

None

Pictures