Mark Hughes: Stoke Reportedly Next Stop in Managerial Career of Man Utd Legend

According to BBC Sport, Mark Hughes is likely to be appointed the new Stoke City manager within days, but it seems to be another strange step for a man once viewed as a possible successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

The former Man United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich striker was held in high regard during a playing career which ran from 1980 to 2002.

But his managerial career has been somewhat hit-and-miss since taking charge of Wales alongside Neville Southall after Bobby Gould in 1999.

Hughes eventually took over in a solo capacity and guided Wales to the verge of the European Championships in 2004 before being defeated by Russia in the playoffs.

In September 2004, Hughes was appointed Blackburn Rovers manager and led them to the FA Cup semifinals in his first season before taking the club into the top six of the Premier League the following year.

Players such as Benni McCarthy, Christopher Samba and Roque Santa Cruz were recruited, and Blackburn finished seventh in the top flight in 2008.

Hughes' managerial career was beginning to take off and soon a bigger challenge would arrive when Manchester City made their play for the former striker to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2008.

Hughes brought in players such as Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta after taking charge, but after just two months in the role, City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Investment Group.

Sheikh Mansour's riches brought Robinho to the club from Real Madrid, but City finished only 10th in the table in his first full season in charge.

In December 2009, after a run of two wins in 11 league matches, word leaked out that Hughes would take charge for the last time in a home game against Sunderland and would be replaced by Roberto Mancini.

There was plenty of sympathy for Hughes, notably from his former manager, Ferguson.

The Old Trafford boss had famously declared City "noisy neighbours" during the Welshman's time in charge, but that did not stop him describing the decision to sack Hughes as "unacceptable," as the Daily Mail reported.

Hughes bounced back in his next managerial role, though, when he took Fulham to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.

But any sympathy garnered from his experiences at City were swept away when he quit Craven Cottage after less than 11 months in charge.

Hughes had been linked with the vacancy at Aston Villa, as BBC Sport reported, citing a desire to "further my experiences."

"

As a young, ambitious manager I wish to move on to further my experiences. 

I believe my management team and I have done a good job and the club has a strong foundation from which they can go forward. 

"

Fulham owner Mohamed Al-Fayed was less than impressed and hit back at Hughes in October 2011, according to BBC Sport.

"

What a strange man Mark Hughes is. Sacked by Manchester City, he was becoming a forgotten man when I rescued him to become manager of Fulham Football Club.

Even when results were bad, I did not put pressure on him. I gave him every support - financial, moral and personal.

He negotiated a two-year extension to his contract. On the day he was due to sign, he walked out without the courtesy of a proper explanation.

And now he insults the club, saying it lacks ambition, and the players who delivered an eighth position finish last season and a place in the Europa League.

He is not just disrespectful but entirely wrong. If people are looking for a flop, they only have to
look no further than the man who has lost his spark.

"

Far from furthering his experiences, Hughes' next role was also an unlikely one when he took over from Neil Warnock at Queens Park Rangers.

Hughes kept QPR in the Premier League despite losing at Manchester City on the final day of the season, but after spending millions in the 2012 summer transfer market, he was sacked following a run of 12 league games without a win.

Stoke City are now expected to appoint Hughes after the sacking of Tony Pulis last week as the former striker makes another attempt at resurrecting his managerial career.

After maintaining and cementing their Premier League status since promotion from the Championship in 2008, Pulis will prove to be a hard act to follow.

The Britannia Stadium will be the latest stop for Hughes to rebuild his managerial career. If he fails, he should make it his last.