Chelsea FC’s 50 Greatest Players Of All-Time
40. Mark Hughes: 1995-98
Mark “Sparky” Hughes is one of several players to have played for both Manchester United and Chelsea. Though he is best known for his exploits at Old Trafford, Hughes achieved some great things in blue.
Signed by the club on the same day as Ruud Gullit, Hughes was part of the revitalization of the club in the 1990s. He was not the continental star that Gullit or Gianfranco Zola were, but the Welshman was an established international in the Wales side and had an already impressive trophy cabinet from his time at United.
At Chelsea, Hughes was the man for the big occasion when it came to cup competitions. Not quite as prolific as Didier Drogba, he still helped lead the Blues to the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup by scoring 13 goals in 27 cup appearances. His scoring record overall was also impressive as he scored 39 goals in 123 total appearances.
The former striker has gone on to a career in management with Wales and clubs like Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers. He is currently managing Stoke City and has started a revolution of sorts at the club where they have become a much more attractive in their style of football.
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