Following Bradford City's elimination of Aston Villa in the League Cup semi-final, McHugh was photographed waving the flag of his native county on the pitch at Villa Park. He later said, "That was the highlight of the night for me. Back in Bradford they might have thought it was the Irish flag, but they know now that it is the Donegal flag." In the run-up to the 2013 Football League Cup Final, which McHugh played in, he was cited as an "unsung hero" of the Bradford City team. In the latter stages of the 2012–13 season, McHugh began to be played more as a left back. In June 2013, McHugh was praised by former Bradford City left-back Wayne Jacobs. In July 2013, McHugh signed a new one-year contract with Bradford City, and later that month he spoke about his fight to become a first-team member in the forthcoming season.