It has been a stop-start season for Alice Hughes, but back with a goal last time out, the midfielder is now ready to kick on…
Time stood still as Alice Hughes found space at the back post. It had been a whirlwind few minutes for Leeds United Women, who just moments before had taken the lead in their crucial Yorkshire derby against Barnsley through Amy Woodruff.
In the ascendency and demanding more, defender Shauna Legge then flicked on a cross from the left and Hughes, with the freedom of Garforth, glanced home her side’s second beyond the despairing dive of the Reds’ goalkeeper.
“I am pretty sure it went in slow-motion, so I was just holding my breath until it crossed that line,” laughs the 28-year-old. “I didn’t really know what to do, I stood there in case I got a nosebleed or something!
“Obviously, I want to help the team in any way that I can and, as a holding midfielder, goals don’t tend to be the way that I impact the game. It was a bonus to be back on the pitch with the girls, and the biggest thing on the day was the three points.”
Hughes, a combative and tenacious player in the heart of midfield, has been forced to watch from the touchline in the previous months, having picked up a frustrating injury at the beginning of the campaign.
It was a season that had started so brightly for the former MK Dons star. In the Julie Chipchase Trophy, a pre-season fixture against Doncaster Rovers Belles, Hughes had dominated, collecting the Player of the Match award and leaving the famous faces that watched on impressed.
Former Whites and Lionesses icon Sue Smith could be overheard complimenting her display, something that not only meant a lot to Alice, but provided her with added motivation to carry that form into the new campaign.
“A teammate said Sue had some kind words to say about me, which I was very grateful for. It is massive praise. I am not very good at taking praise most of the time, but for someone like that to be commenting on my performances is a massive thing and I am very grateful for it. But hopefully now it is about showing that on the pitch week in, week out and helping the team where I can.”
Injury setbacks curtailed that strong start, but a host of new additions to Simon Wood’s squad and existing players standing up and being counted saw the team navigate a tough set of fixtures, with Leeds now having won their last four matches and rocketing up the table.
With Hughes, and other absentees, back among the squad, their sights are firmly set on top-of-the-table Middlesbrough in the exciting race for promotion.
“When everyone is fit, I think having that competition in the squad just makes everyone raise their game,” Hughes adds, discussing how well the midfield had performed in her absence. “It all just pushes us to that next level. Knowing as well we have got that sort of range and depth is great because if something goes wrong, we can adapt.
“We have got people that can step in and they are hitting those same levels, with no sort of adjustments or anything. We are all just really on that similar level, performing and pushing each other to be better. It is amazing to be around that quality and mentalities, definitely.”
Quality of player is something that Hughes is familiar with, having featured in the tier above where the Whites currently find themselves in an impressive career to date. It hasn’t always been plain sailing, however, as she admits she missed a large chunk of her footballing education.
“I have played for quite a few clubs, but I didn’t play between the ages of 13 and 18 because of the school that I went to. I wasn’t able to fit football in around that. It wasn’t until I went to Loughborough University that I got back into it, before going on and playing for Notts County in their Academy.”
A move back to her native Buckinghamshire followed, where Hughes would play a crucial role in helping guide MK Dons to promotion into the third division, staying there and gaining experience plying her trade at a highly-competitive standard. Before long, however, she was heading north.
The midfielder relocated to Humberside, enjoying a brief stint with Hull City, before representing Leeds United and York City. The Whites’ number six returned to the club midway through last season and has been integral ever since. In truth, she smiles, a second spell at United was something she couldn’t turn down.
“Leeds United is just a massive name in English football and in world football. That is always going to be something that draws you in as a place that you want to be. The facilities at Thorp Arch and the style of play that Simon outlined before I made the move means it is an exciting club to be around and one that is going in the right direction.
“The professionalism here is always a massive draw. I think you can see from the players here already and the quality of players that we have brought in.”
Hughes, like many others in the squad, balances football alongside her career, training twice a week and travelling around the north for the gruelling, and often changing, FA WNL schedule. A perfectionist on the pitch, she is also clearly driven and motivated off it. That commitment, albeit a challenge at times, is a privilege to uphold.
“I think it is definitely not something that should be underestimated,” explains the recent goalscorer. “The effort that goes into it and striving to be the best that we can be is a lot, but we all do it because we love football. That is the core of it.
“I think that is why I have struggled a bit in terms of being out injured, even though it wasn’t super long-term. It is the enjoyment and just knocking a ball around with your friends. For me, that is what it all boils down to at the end of the day. It is why we all do it.”
After what felt like an eternity from the ball glancing off Hughes’ head, it nestled in the far corner. It was tricky for Wood’s side as Barnsley threw everything at them after the break looking for a route back into the match, but for Hughes, and the hours spent in the gym fighting her way to full fitness, that was never going to be allowed to happen.
Alice and her teammates continue their FA WNL Division One North Campaign this weekend with a trip to face Chorley away from home. Read our match preview HERE.