Coventry City
Which team did Lee Hughes play for from 2001 to 2002?
Lee Hughes Lee Hughes ( born 22 May 1976 ) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker . A strong striker with excellent finishing abilities , Hughes represented the England semi-professional team once in 1996 . After being released as a youth footballer , Hughes worked as a roofer alongside his father . 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 finished as the clubs top-scorer for four seasons running , earning a place on the PFA Team of the Year in 1998–99 after finishing as the highest scorer in the top four divisions of English football . He was sold to Coventry City for £5 million in August 2001 , before returning to West Brom for half of that figure twelve months later . 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 . In August 2004 , he was sentenced to six years imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal crash on 23 November 2003 . Following his release from prison in 2007 , he returned to the professional game with Oldham Athletic of League One . He signed for Notts County in July 2009 , and was named on the PFA Team of the Year after scoring 30 league goals as the club won the League Two title in 2009–10 . He left Notts County to sign for Port Vale in January 2013 , and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13 . In January 2014 , he signed for Forest Green Rovers on an 18-month deal . In January 2015 , he returned to Kidderminster Harriers , and moved on to Ilkeston and then Worcester City in the summer . He continued to be a prolific goalscorer into his 40s , and signed with AFC Telford United in February 2017 . He began his management career as joint-manager of Worcester City , alongside John Snape , in May 2017 . In March 2018 , he joined Halesowen Town as a player , where he remained until moving on to Mickleover Sports in August 2019 . He joined Grantham Town in January 2020 and retired two months later at the age of 43 . Club career . Kidderminster Harriers . Hughes spent four years at West Bromwich Albion as a schoolboy from ages 11 to 15 , though was not offered a youth team contract . He then had unsuccessful trials at numerous clubs , though came close to being offered a contract by Swansea City . He instead started his career playing semi-professionally for Conference club Kidderminster Harriers , whilst holding down a part-time job as a roofer . 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 . At this point in his career Hughes was regarded as one of Englands finest semi-professionals and was called up to the England national football C team . In total , Hughes scored 70 goals in 139 games for Kidderminster in all competitions . He also played for amateur touring side Middlesex Wanderers during their tour of Vietnam whilst he was aged 19 . West Bromwich Albion . Hughes was sold to West Bromwich Albion for an initial £200,000 – incentives later took the final sum up to £380,000 – in August 1997 . He said It was a dream to join the team I have supported all my life . 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 . Fans affectionately nicknamed him the Ginger Ninja . He made his debut at The Hawthorns as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Tranmere Rovers on 9 August 1997 . Seven days later he scored two goals from the bench in a 3–2 win over Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road . Though signed by Ray Harford , he came to the fore under new boss Denis Smith . Smith handed Hughes his first start on 28 December , in a 1–1 home draw with Stoke City . He finished his debut season as the clubs top-scorer with 14 goals in 41 appearances , and was rewarded with a new four-year contract . He started the 1998–99 season in fine form , and claimed his first ever hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Port Vale at Vale Park on 22 August . 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 . West Brom eventually issued a hands-off warning to other clubs . He claimed further hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town , and finished the season with 32 goals in 45 games . This tally left him as the countrys top-scorer . He was named on the PFA Team of the Year for the First Division . 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 . In particular , his £1,400 a week salary was compared with the £5,000 a week salary of under-performing teammate Fabian de Freitas . He remained at the club for the 1999–2000 season , and scored 17 goals in 43 appearances . Albion struggled in the First Division under new manager Brian Little , though improved after Gary Megson replaced Little as manager in March and avoided relegation despite Hughes missing the final five matches of the season due to a knee injury . 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 . With 23 goals to his name , he again attracted interest from other clubs . He claimed two hat-tricks in seven days against Gillingham and Preston North End . Hughes converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Bolton Wanderers in the first leg of the play-off semi-final , before a 3–0 defeat at the Reebok Stadium ended Albions play-off hopes . He refused to sign a new contract in July 2001 , and was placed on the transfer list . Coventry City . Hughes was sold to Gordon Strachans 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 . His wages at Highfield Road were reported to be £15,000 a week . 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 clubs top-scorer . Coventry rejected a loan offer from West Bromwich Albion in March 2002 , and ended the season outside the play-offs . Return to West Bromwich Albion . In August 2002 , Hughes returned to West Bromwich Albion for a club record £2.5 million – half the fee Albion had received for him a year earlier – and signed a four-year deal with the club . 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 . Hughes was criticised by several teammates following the clubs 1–0 defeat by Everton at Goodison Park , though was publicly backed by manager Gary Megson . He told the press that I want to establish myself in the Premiership and any accusations of me not pulling my weight should be made to my face . He put his poor form down to him missing pre-season training with injury problems . 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 . His contract at West Bromwich Albion was immediately terminated in August 2004 , following his conviction for causing death by dangerous driving . He spent the next three years in prison , serving half of his six-year sentence . Oldham Athletic . Upon his release from prison on 20 August 2007 , Hughes signed a two-year contract with League One club Oldham Athletic ; the club asked supporters not to pass moral judgement . His reported salary of £1,800-a-week at Boundary Park was less than a 10th of what he earned at the peak of his career with West Bromwich Albion . Hughes made his debut for Oldham in a 4–1 defeat by Hartlepool United at Victoria Park on 1 September 2007 . He failed to find the net in his first seven games , and underwent an operation to correct a hernia problem . He recovered quickly from the procedure , and registered his first two goals for the Latics in a 3–0 win over Bournemouth at Dean Court on 25 November , before being named in the League One Team of the Week . He scored his first hat-trick for the club against Millwall in a 3–2 victory at The Den on 15 December , and again made the League One Team of the Week . He picked up a groin injury in March 2008 , and was sidelined for the rest of the season . Hughes had scored eight goals by the end of the 2007–08 season , making him the clubs second highest goalscorer behind Craig Davies . He opened his account for the 2008–09 season with a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Cheltenham Town on 23 August . Stating his future ambitions as playing Championship football with Oldham , he was offered a new deal at the club on 30 December 2008 . 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 . In March 2009 , it was widely reported that Hughes had been involved in a drunken brawl with Sheridan where Hughes was reported to have had him in a headlock . Sheridan later downplayed the incident as jovial , saying people have made things up . Sheridan was sacked , but insisted that the two incidents were not related , as it was results that cost me the job . On 26 March 2009 , Hughes joined Championship club Blackpool on loan until the end of the season . He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Bloomfield Road on 4 April . His first goal for the club came on 18 April against Charlton Athletic at the Valley , when after coming on as an 89th-minute substitute , and with Blackpool 2–1 down , he scored four minutes later to make the score 2–2 . Hughes ended the campaign as Oldhams highest scorer with 18 goals in 40 appearances . However , he was one of a number of players released by the clubs new manager Dave Penney in May 2009 , and returned to Kidderminster Harriers for training in order to keep up his fitness levels whilst searching for a new club . Notts County . 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 . He scored a hat-trick on his debut in a 5–0 victory over Bradford City on the opening day of the season . He then got his second hat-trick against Northampton Town in a 5–2 home win on 12 September . He claimed his third hat-trick of the campaign on 28 December during a 4–1 win over Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium . However the club endured a turbulent time , with manager Ian McParland sacked and replaced by Hans Backe , who himself resigned after Qadbak Investments proved unable to fund Backes wages . New owner Ray Trew appointed Steve Cotterill as manager , and County entered April ten points behind league leaders Rochdale , though Hughes remained confident that they could reduce the deficit and win the league . On 17 April , Hughes scored two goals in a 4–1 victory over Morecambe as County won promotion to League One . He was named as League Twos Player of the Month in April . On 1 May , Hughes added another two goals in Countys final home game of the season , making him the first Notts player to score 30 league goals since Tommy Lawton in the 1949–50 season . He finished as the divisions 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 . County won the league by a ten-point margin . In July 2010 , Hughes signed a one-year extension to his contract that would see him at Meadow Lane until the summer of 2012 . On 23 September 2010 , Hughes revealed a Boing , Boing t-shirt in a League Cup tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux – the slogan of Wolves rivals West Bromwich Albion – and was quizzed by police after angry Wolves fans retaliated to the message by attacking Notts County supporters coaches . He was reported to be angry at being named as a substitute in a league game against Milton Keynes Dons on 11 December , though boss Paul Ince stated that Hughesy is 34 and cannot play week in week out . But hes never come and said I should be starting . Hes been different class . On 8 January 2011 , he was on the scoresheet as County beat Premier League side Sunderland 2–1 in the FA Cup . Two weeks later he was confirmed to be a target of Sheffield Wednesday . He remained with the Magpies , and ended the 2010–11 season as the clubs top-scorer with 16 goals in 37 appearances . 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 . On 8 September 2011 , he played against Italian club Juventus in the inaugural game of the Juventus Stadium , and scored Countys goal in a 1–1 draw ; after the game he had a signed shirt from Andrea Pirlo . 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 . He ended the 2011–12 campaign on 11 goals in 44 games . In summer 2012 , the club rejected offers for Hughes from Cheltenham Town and former club Oldham Athletic . At the beginning of the 2012–13 season , new manager Keith Curle stated that we know he is of an age where he wont be playing for 46 games , so he needs to be managed . New signing Yoann Arquin became the countys first choice striker , and Hughes announced his intention to leave the club in order to find first team football . 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 . However , the next day it was revealed that the loan move would not go through as the relevant paperwork had not been sent in on time . Three weeks later Hughes provided the club with a sick note , saying that he was unavailable until January . His contract was terminated by mutual consent on 7 January 2013 . Port Vale . Hughes joined Port Vale the day after securing his exit from Notts County , as the BBC reported that promotion-chasing boss Micky Adams wants to bring him in to add impetus to a Vale attack who have occasionally misfired this term . He signed a contract to keep him at Vale Park until the end of the 2012–13 season , at which point his contract would be extended by 12 months if the Valiants were promoted . However Hughes later revealed that Adams was against the transfer but had been overruled by chairman Norman Smurthwaite . He marked his debut against the Gills with the winning goal that sent Vale to the top of the table . Being partnered with the countrys leading goalscorer Tom Pope allowed Hughes space in front of goal vacated by opposition defenders attempting to double up on Pope . Hughes scored his first hat-trick for the Valiants in a 7–1 home victory over Burton Albion on 5 April , with two of his goals coming from the penalty spot as he took over from Jennison Myrie-Williams as the clubs penalty taker . This performance won him a place on the League Two team of the week . 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 . He was not a regular starter in the 2013–14 season , especially as Jordan Hugill began to impress from the youth development squad , and so he decided to leave the club in the January transfer window . Later career . On 3 January 2014 , he joined Conference Premier side Forest Green Rovers on an 18-month contract . Manager Adrian Pennock stated that Hes come to play football , hes not come for money and Im chuffed to have him on board . He has the experience we need and I believe hell score goals . He made his debut six days later in a 1–1 draw with Hereford United at The New Lawn . On 25 January , he scored his first goals for the club , securing a brace in a 3–0 home win over Chester . He ended the 2013–14 season with eight goals in 21 appearances for Rovers . On the opening day of the 2014–15 season , Hughes scored Forest Greens winning goal in a 1–0 away victory at Southport . He then scored his 300th career goal with his second strike of the season in a 2–0 win over Alfreton Town at The New Lawn on 16 August 2014 . 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 . On his second debut for Kidderminster , he put his side ahead in a Worcestershire Senior Cup tie against Stourbridge . He also scored on his league return against Woking at Aggborough , scoring in the 39th minute in a 1–1 draw . He was released at the end of the season as manager Gary Whilds playing budget was reduced by half for the 2015–16 campaign . After impressing in pre season , Hughes signed for Northern Premier League Premier Division side Ilkeston , and was sent off on his debut against Skelmersdale United on 15 August 2015 . 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 . He scored 19 goals in 29 appearances in the 2015–16 campaign . In February 2017 , he applied to succeed Carl Heeley as manager . However , he instead left the financially troubled club and moved on to National League North rivals AFC Telford United . In March 2018 , Hughes signed for Northern Premier League Premier Division side Halesowen Town as a player . The Yeltz ended the 2017–18 season in 23rd-place , before being relegated out of the Southern League Premier Division Central at the end of the 2018–19 campaign . He left Halesowen in August 2019 , after losing his place in the starting eleven . Later that month he joined league rivals Mickleover Sports , where he made nineteen league appearances and scored six goals , and then Grantham Town in January 2020 , where he scored once in six league appearances . He was reported to have been a target for Nuneaton Borough just before the 2019–20 season was formally abandoned on 26 March , with all results from the season being expunged , due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England . He announced his retirement in April 2020 , at the age of 43 . Management career . Hughes rejoined Worcester City as both a player and as joint-manager , alongside John Snape , on 4 May 2017 ; Worcester had just been relegated out of the National League North . He resigned on 6 March 2018 . In March 2019 , he was appointed caretaker player-manager of Halesowen Town , remaining in the role until May . Style of play . Describing Hughess attributes in January 2013 , former Notts County coach Dave Kevan said that he was a fantastic finisher.. . a clever player whose movement is good , whose intelligence is good , who uses his body well and who uses his strength well.. . he plays with his brain and hes adapted his game as he has got older.. . hes also clever enough to create opportunities for others . He maintained a natural goalscoring instinct throughout his career , and has said I always fancy myself to stick the ball in the back of the net if I get a chance . His dancing goal celebration originated as a mocking tribute of a friends bad dancing . Personal life . The son of Bill and Gail Hughes , older brother to Clint and Brett , Hughes worked with his father as a roofer in his home-town of Smethwick before turning professional . In 1999 , Sharlene Gillies claimed that she and Hughes had a child together . DNA tests later proved that he was not the father , though by this time his engagement to lap dancer Donna Nisbet was called off . Hughes stated that I dont 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 . 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 . It was reported that he had converted to Islam during his time in prison , due in part to his friendship with Muslim prisoners and the fact that abuse of alcohol had helped to bring about his downfall – his father said that this story is not true . In 2005 Hughes was reported to be on suicide watch after learning that his wife had reportedly been seeing a younger man . He married air hostess Anna Kuzmanic in June 2000 in the Croatian town of Trogir . The couple had two children together but split up in 2008 ; the split was described as very amicable . His eldest , Mia , was born in November 2000 . Hughes was declared bankrupt in March 2018 . Causing death by dangerous driving conviction . On 23 November 2003 , near his home in the Warwickshire village of Meriden , West Midlands , Hughes lost control of his Mercedes CL55 AMG and went onto the wrong side of the road before colliding with a Renault Scénic . A passenger in the Renault , Douglas Graham , was killed in the incident , whilst his wife Maureen and the driver Albert Frisby were severely injured . Hughes and passenger Adrian Smith left the scene , before turning themselves in to the police 36 hours later . He was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving . He denied the charge , though later pleaded guilty to charges of failing to stop and failing to report an accident . During his trial at Coventry Crown Court , Hughes was accused of driving too fast in wet conditions and was described as driving like a madman . He claimed the brakes on his car had locked , though tests showed that the brakes were in perfect working order and had technology installed to prevent the driver from losing control . When asked where he had been in the 36 hours after leaving the scene of the incident Hughes said that I would rather not say , really , though later admitted he had travelled 20 miles to Smethwick . Prosecutor Melbourne Inman QC told the court Hughes had fled the scene to dodge a breath test . On 9 August 2004 , Hughes was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving , and was sentenced to six years imprisonment . Frisby said that the sentence was not long enough . Hughes lodged an appeal against the sentence , but not the conviction . In January 2005 , his appeal for his sentence to be reduced was refused . He served his time in Category C prisons . During his time in HM Prison Featherstone he played in the Staffordshire County Senior League for the prison football team . He also helped to organise a charity football match which raised £5,000 for a childrens hospice . He was released in August 2007 , three years into his six-year sentence . Assault conviction . On 3 December 2011 , Hughes was arrested and bailed on charges of sexual assault after an incident in Croydon . He was then charged with the offence on 30 January 2012 . In May 2012 , Hughes was found guilty of common assault and fined £500 , but the charge of sexual assault was dropped . Honours . Kidderminster Harriers - Conference runner-up : 1996–97 West Bromwich Albion - Football League First Division runner-up : 2003–04 Notts County - EFL League Two : 2009–10 Port Vale - League Two third-place promotion : 2012–13 Individual - PFA Team of the Year ( First Division ) : 1998–99 - West Bromwich Albion F.C . Player of the Year : 1998–99 - League Two Player of the Month : April 2010 - PFA Team of the Year ( League Two ) : 2009–10