New Newport boss David Hughes played for Carlisle in the 1997/98 season (Image: PA)
New Newport boss David Hughes played for Carlisle in the 1997/98 season (Image: PA)
League Two's newest manager is a former Carlisle United player.
Newport County have announced David Hughes as their new boss ahead of the 2025/26 season.
He has joined from Manchester United, where he had been under-21s coach and assistant manager.
And the 47-year-old's CV includes a brief stint with Carlisle in the 1990s.
The defender was on Aston Villa's books when he joined the Cumbrians on loan in the latter stages of the 1997/98 third-tier season.
But it proved a brief and unmemorable stay for Hughes, who only managed one appearance in a Carlisle shirt.
That came in a home clash with AFC Bournemouth on March 28, 1998, when the Blues fell to a 1-0 defeat thanks to a Mark Stein goal.
Hughes started the Division Two game in a United XI featuring players such as Stephane Pounewatchy, Billy Barr, Tony Hopper, Tony Caig, Richard Prokas and Ian Stevens, who missed a penalty for the Blues.
He played the first 69 minutes, also collecting a booking before being substituted, United then under the management team of John Halpin, David Wilkes and controversial owner Michael Knighton.
Jimmy Glass and Eddie Howe were in the opposition when David Hughes made his solitary Carlisle appearance
Jimmy Glass and Eddie Howe were in the opposition when David Hughes made his solitary Carlisle appearance
(Image: PA)
The opposition side that day, meanwhile, included future Carlisle hero Jimmy Glass, and eventual Bournemouth, Burnley and Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
The defeat featured in a miserable run of results at the back end of 1997/98 as Carlisle plummeted to relegation to the fourth tier, then known as Division Three.
Hughes, a Wales Under-21 and B international. made the bench for three of United's remaining six games but did not get on the pitch as relegation was duly confirmed.
The Wrexham-born defender, who had made seven Premier League appearances for Aston Villa by that point, later had spells at Shrewsbury Town and Cardiff City but injuries forced him into premature retirement at 26.
He managed Welsh side Barry Town before his subsequent coaching career saw roles at Shewsbury Town, Watford, Aston Villa, Southampton, Cardiff, Walsall, Swindon Town and with the Wales national set-up at several age group levels.
He has been at Man Utd since 2022 but has now signed a two-year deal to replace Nelson Jardim at Newport, who finished third bottom of League Two in 2024/25.
He will be joined by the experienced Wayne Hatswell as assistant manager and Lee Kendall as head of goalkeeping.
“Leaving a great club like Manchester United is never easy, but I'm excited about what lies ahead here," said Hughes in a Newport statement.
“You build relationships with people and that makes decisions like this challenging. But after speaking to the chairman on a few occasions, it became a straightforward decision in terms of the challenge ahead and the shared vision for the club.”
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