Soccer: Skybet Championship League 2
Carl McHugh in action for Plymouth Argyle. Photo: Dave Rowntree
By Liam Porter
When Carl McHugh left Donegal for Reading as a sixteen-year-old, he was fulfilling the type of dream most of the schoolboy players in the county who head out to kick a ball this weekend will have, heading to England to embark on a professional football career.
As those youngsters in the Donegal Schoolboys League dream those dreams this Saturday, McHugh will be hoping to keep Plymouth Argyle close to the summit of the Sky Bet League 2 when they face Bristol Rovers.
“I know that I’m in a very privileged position to be able to play football and do something that I love so much as my career,” the Lettermacaward said this week.
McHugh has been earning high praise for his performances for the Derek Adams managed side who have lost just once so far this season and currently sit second in the table.
Although he made his name in England as a central defender he has been playing as a central midfielder since the summer, and has kept some of the club’s more recognised midfielders kicking their heels on the bench.
“This is a very competitive industry, it’s something young lads dream of doing, but you have to work really hard to get playing and you have to keep realising what a priviliege it is to make sure you keep your focus, you can’t afford to have a bad season.”
That’s the kind of grit and determination that has kept 22 year-old McHugh in the game in England after he suffered the same fate of so many youngsters who make the trip abroad.
SEE TOMORROW’S DONEGAL NEWS FOR FULL INTERVIEW
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Motherwell captain Carl McHugh insists that his side won't just be there to make up the numbers