Rhys Hughes was tipped as a rising star breaking through the Everton academy before he was then told that he would not be offered a new contract.
After joining their academy system at the age of six, Hughes had high ambitions that he was going to make it and get his dream of playing in the Premier League.
Being a part of an academy certainly adds pressure but also a lot of rewards. The midfielder was excelling with the youth team and got offered a new two-and-a-half-year contract in January 2020.
The Welshman was flourishing with the U18 team and moved up to a higher level as he was promoted to the U23s.
Unfortunately, in the summer of 2022, Rhys’ contract expired and the club did not offer him a new one which just shows the brutal reality of Premier League academies.
“I had an unbelievable experience with Everton playing against Real Madrid and Barcelona which are certainly memories that will live with me for a long time,” said Hughes.
“Getting to play at a great facility like Finch Farm was amazing and getting to do the job that most people dream of.”
Getting released from the Everton academy
Life at a premier League academy can be the best feeling in the world, but it can come crashing down so fast.
Rhys Hughes was loving being a part of one of the most successful football clubs in England, ripping it up at every age group but unfortunately for him he would never get the chance to make his Premier League debut.
“I don’t have any major regrets about my time with Everton, I did everything I could to achieve my goal, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
It can be a huge mental challenge to get over being released from a club that you have been with since you were a young boy and therefore it is vital that academy footballers get the support that is required.
Rhys added; “It was very hard to take at first knowing you’re not going to be going back up there which is somewhere that I’d been turning up for 15 years of my life.”
Next football chapter
There is always hope for footballers like Rhys to kickstart their career at a new football club and upon the expiration of his contract in 2022 the Welshman did just that.
He secured a two-year contract at League two side Tranmere Rovers, a club local to Everton and a place where he could now call home.
This gave the footballer a chance of redemption doing what he loves best playing football and went onto to make his professional debut in August 2022.
Although the midfielder was mainly in and out of the team, it certainly gave him a platform to build from and show that he was good enough for the level.
“This was a huge moment in my career getting my first taste of men’s football and it certainly gave me the experience I needed to grow as a man and be amongst an experienced squad.”
Going from U23s football to a full men’s game in the fourth division of English football couldn’t be any more different so it certainly took Hughes a couple of months to adapt to the level.
He went on to say, “I was very grateful to the Tranmere manager at the time Micky Mellon for signing me and giving me an exciting role to play, I knew that I was good enough I just needed to show it.”
Connahs Quay opportunity
After going out on two loans to National League North side’s Chester and Curzon Ashton, Hughes was then released from Tranmere Rovers, another blow to his football League career.
After a challenging summer in 2024, he would get his next chance, at Welsh Premier League side Connahs Quay Nomads.
The Flintshire side gave Rhys the next chance in his career to prove himself, and that is exactly what he has done.
An extremely promising first season with the Nomads has seen the midfielder playing some of his best football, claiming player of the season and clinching goal of the season in the Welsh Premier League.
Although the division is mainly contested with part-time football clubs, it has allowed him to flourish in a team that is certainly on the rise and a club where he is given a lot of freedom to play his part.
In this current season, Hughes finds himself in a Connahs Quay team that is flying high in 2nd position of the Welsh Premier and within eight points of league leaders TNS.
New manager John Disney is certainly getting the best out of him, already contributing 12 goals for the team this season, and he has the potential to grow his game even more.
“I had a really good first season with Connahs Quay, I had to adapt to a new League and style of play and there were a lot of goals that I achieved personally with the team,” said Hughes.
“In this current season we are doing really well as a team, I feel that I have contributed a lot to the attacking areas of the pitch, we’re currently 15 games unbeaten so let’s see how far we can go,” the midfielder added.
The future
After losing his opportunity of playing for Everton in the most competitive league in the world, Hughes has found some rest bite and is displaying his skills and creativity.
“I just want to play as many games as possible, I always feel at my best when I’m playing week in week out and there is still so much more for me to achieve over the next couple of years,” added Hughes.
Whilst leaving the Toffees was “one of the most challenging days as a footballer” he has had that extra motivation to prove that he is good enough and the future is very bright for the young attacking midfielder.
(Featured image courtesy of Connah’s Quay Nomads)
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