Fletch: Hughes dictates the play

AFC Bournemouth legend Steve Fletcher believes that Cherries midfielder Richard Hughes has returned to Dean Court a better player.

Hughes returned to Dean Court as a 33 year old after ten years and two months after leaving for Portsmouth in June 2002.

The Scottish midfielder made 154 appearances for the Cherries before spending the next 9 years at Fratton Park, playing 165 games.

He was linked to the Cherries during the summer of 2011, but Hughes decided to retire from football and open a restaurant, but 12 months later Cherries manager Paul Groves tempted him out of retirement and he signed a deal until the end of the 2013/14 season.

He spent the next few weeks playing catch up with his fitness, but returned to action ahead of schedule, making a substitute appearance at Sheffield United, before starting the last two games against Portsmouth and Yeovil.

Fletch told afcb.co.uk...

"...we have got a big squad and players who have come from bigger clubs, but they haven`t played the amount of games Richard has played at the top level, His game hasn`t really changed that much since he left, he`s just got better at what he does. That comes from playing in the Championship and the Premier League and being around the top players week in, week out.

"But when you get older you have to adapt your game to your capabilities, and he has done that superbly. He`s so much better at what he does now than he was ten years ago, and he was very good at it then.

"He`s all about dictating the play, playing in front of the back four and keeping the ball, and there`s probably nobody in the league who does it better than Richard."

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