Hughes is already bouncing back from break

Scarborough Athletic’s experienced midfielder Bryan Hughes is confident of bouncing back from his broken leg in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League next season, writes Martin Dowey.

The 37-year-old former Hull City and Birmingham City man, pictured, picked up the injury in the first half of Boro’s 3-0 defeat at Evo-Stik First Division South leaders Halesowen on Saturday.

Hughes suffered a clean break of his fibula in his right leg but the player-coach, who joined the Seadogs in March 2013 after kicking off his career at Wrexham before earning a £1,000,000 move to the Blues in 1997, doesn’t blame the Halesowen player involved and is confident of being ready to return in August.

Hughes told the Scarborough News on Thursday: "I wouldn’t put any blame on the lad, he was an honest but clumsy player. You have to stay positive about it. I will be back playing football again.

"I’ll be in the stand on Saturday for the game against Market Drayton, maybe that will help because I’ll get a different perspective of the game for when we go in at half-time.

"I’m looking forward to pre-season now. I’ll hopefully get the all-clear before it all starts, so I’ll be starting my rehab while everyone else is winding down after the season.

"The bigger picture isn’t great at the moment though. I’ll remain in a lot of pain while things knit back together. You don’t realise how much something like this can affect you until it happens."

Hughes, who also played for Charlton Athletic, Burton Albion, Grimsby Town, Accrington Stanley and Derby County during a brief spell on loan, added: "I had to cancel a holiday on Sunday and I have had to put my television work on the back-burner. I’m going down to watch Hull City at Wembley in a few weeks as well, hopefully I’ll be a little more mobile by then."