An emotional Andy Hughes summed up his time at Leeds United as the best four years of his career in an interview with Yorkshire Radio.
In an interview with Leeds legend Eddie Gray, Hughes explained just what the club meant to him and his family and that it will never go away.
Although he didn`t want to leave Leeds he felt, the move was the best thing for his football career at this stage.
Scunthorpe offered Hughes an eighteen-month contract and the offer of a further year if he was to make a certain amount of appearances, a deal that at 33, was too good for him to turn down.
In an interview that lasted over 18 minutes, here are some of the things that Hughes said about the club that he holds so close to his heart.
“To actually play for Leeds United and to captain Leeds United for a few games and to be a part of what`s gone on and just to say I`ve done it, I really am a lucky, lucky boy.”
“I`m from Manchester, and Leeds is the best city I have ever lived in. Living round Leeds, you see the working class people and it`s a football city. When I first came to the club, a few people told me that if I give 100% to the fans, they would take that. That`s all I`ve ever tried to do for Leeds, I`ve played in various positions, there`s just something about Leeds fans and if you give 110%, it`s acceptable.
“I was so honoured to play for Leeds. My daughters a Leeds fan and I`ll be a Leeds fan forever.”
“Leeds United brought me the best four years of my football career and the most turbulent up and down four years.
Last year was probably one of the best years of my football career.
What Leeds as done for me and my wife and my daughter I can`t thank the people of Leeds enough.”
“It`s been an absolutely magical four years, I`m not just saying this, I am saying this because I mean it. It`s been incredible, to arrive at the bottom of the league and minus 15, and to leave within two points from the top of the Championship and we beat Man United that will do for me.”
“I`d love to come back to Leeds one day as manager or a sports scientist or anything like that. Fingers crossed, by that time Leeds will be back in the Champions League.”
“This club as been the most amazing four years, it`s been ups and downs, it`s just been emotional. My wife is upset because she knows how much it`s meant to me. To come and say I`ve played for Leeds United, and to win something with Leeds United, alright it was promotion from League One, but to actually say that I`ve done something with Leeds that I set out to do from the start and to do it in front of these fans home and away, it`s the biggest honour.”
“I think the clubs got momentum, I feel it deserves it after the bad years, they`ve got the facilities, the players and most of all they`ve got the manager to do it.”
Good luck to Andy Hughes at his new club, a true Leeds fighter who always gave it everything and came to the club at a time when most players wouldn`t touch us with a barge poll.
How times have changed in those four years and he leaves with the club well set to mount a serious challenge to return to the Premier League.
There is a good chance that the interview will be played again on Yorkshire Radio today as the station builds up to Leeds trip to Portsmouth from 10am this morning.
To listen follow the link
http://www.yorkshireradio.net/view-features-and-shows.php?sid=9
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