EFL Youth Development Week | Ben Hughes' Journey to Professional Football
As part of EFL Youth Development Week, Swansea City goalkeeper Ben Hughes discusses his journey to becoming a professional footballer.
Ben Hughes humbly admits that were it not for a 20-minute appearance for Wales Under-18s, his football career may have looked very different. Instead, he went from spending a year living out of a bed and breakfast to training alongside the Swansea City senior team at Fairwood.
The 20-year-old initially joined the Swans on a scholarship in the summer of 2021, and his impressive performances at under-18 and under-21 saw him rewarded with a full-time deal in 2022, but it was far from plain sailing to get to that point.
Hughes had been playing for non-league Chippenham Town before being given his big break when spotted playing for the Wales' Under-19s Futsal squad.
He has not looked back since and has gone on to become a Wales Under-21 international and a key member of the Swansea City Under-21s' squad.
But Hughes' journey actually started in Swansea, as he explains.
“I started playing football at the age of five at Mumbles Albion (now Mumbles Rangers), and I started out as an outfield player," said Hughes.
“I was there until the age of 10 or 11, I loved playing as a centre-back at the time, but I’d always jump in goal when they needed one or when I was having a kickabout with mates.
“As I got older, I started gravitating more towards being in goal. When I moved to the upper-age groups, I started playing in goal, week-in, week-out.
“I played my first season in goal as an under-12. I’d play on a Saturday for Mumbles, and then on a Sunday for Pontardawe, I just wanted to play as much as possible.
“One of my earliest memories as a goalkeeper is winning a local cup final with Mumbles, and I got player of the match in that.
“With Pontardawe, I got player of the year that season, which is always a good way to start your goalkeeping journey.
“The next season, the other goalkeeper came back, and I wasn’t getting as much game time. I joined Plough Under-13s, and I was there until I was 16, the same as Pontardawe."
Most players who go on to become pros, have tended to spend a considerable amount of time at a club's academy set-up.
Hughes remained with his local grassroots team until the age of 16 but he knew that if he wanted to make a career out of his love for football, he would have to make some sacrifices.
“When I reached the age of 16, that’s when I became serious about goalkeeping. At the time, I was training with Cardiff’s Development Centre," he added.
“Not long after – this is quite random - but I was at a birthday party at Pure Football, which used to be Play Football, and a coach from there got me a few trials.
“I had trials at Ipswich Town, Cardiff City and Swansea City a couple of times, and nothing came of those. That hit hard, especially being rejected from your hometown club.
“I then realised I needed to make some sacrifices if I wanted to make football my career, I wanted to avoid doing A-levels at all costs and, I knew I had to move away.
“I was still in contact with the coaches from Cardiff, and they linked me up with Hereford, which was nice as I knew a few other Welsh boys there."
Hughes linked up with Chippenham’s academy in 2020 after they discovered him playing grassroots football at Hereford.
Having impressed in the Wiltshire club's academy set-up, Hughes joined their pre-season programme and played regularly for their age-grade side, as well as featuring on the bench in the National League.
“Lockdown began, and we were just waiting round for things to happen. We couldn’t train, so it was quite a tough time as we didn’t know what the outcome would be," said Hughes.
“One of the boys' dads put a couple of us in touch with Chippenham, who were in the National League.
“We then had Zoom calls, as you did during COVID, to introduce myself and then I was offered a scholarship within their academy alongside the other Welsh boys I was with at Hereford.
“Accommodation was a challenge. We were supposed to be put up in a house, but COVID got in the way of that. So we ended up staying in a Travelodge to start with.
“There were six of us, split into two rooms, which was carnage as you could imagine! Corey Hurford was actually one of the boys, and we got really close.
“We were in the Travelodge for the first three or four months. We then moved to a place closer to the training ground as the hotel was half-hour away.
“We moved to a bed and breakfast that was a five-minute walk away from training. It was quite hard, because you never really had a sense of home.
“It was extremely busy and crammed! But we all got along, and we still speak to this day. I feel like those types of experiences make you as a footballer."
Good luck to new Academy Goalkeeper Ben Hughes who makes his @chiptownfc first team debut tonight at Fairford
— Chippenham Town FC Academy (@ChipTownAcademy) August 11, 2020
💙🐦 #FutureBlueBird pic.twitter.com/MxBI8ee2ll
Hughes featured in Chippenham's first-team pre-season fixtures against Fairford, Buckland and Torquay United. He then became a regular for the club's under-23s' squad in the 2020-21 season.
But a recommendation from one of his old coaches would prove to be a turning point in his career, and 2021 would turn into a year to remember for the then 17-year-old.
The local Swansea boy was then called up to the Wales Under-19 national team Futsal camp, after playing for fun during his time in Pontardawe years before.
“Within the first week of arriving, I was training with the first team, which I didn’t expect! I was then put in goals for a pre-season game, which was a great experience," said Hughes.
“I came on against Torquay United, and we won 2-0 and that was an amazing for 16-year-old me to experience.
“From then on, I stayed within the first-team set up and I was their number two keeper for the remainder of the season.
“In February of 2021, one of my old coaches at Pontardawe put my name forward for Wales Under-19s Futsal. I had played futsal on and off whilst living back at home.
“I wasn’t too keen on going at the time, as it was futsal and I didn’t want to take my focus away from Chippenham, but I thought that it would by first opportunity to play for Wales, so I took it!
“It was actually really fun! As a goalkeeper in futsal, you get a lot of bruises and because the ball is hard, you just get that hit at you from all angles.
“Putting on the Welsh jersey was such a great feeling, no matter what level. I actually did really well for the futsal team and, in the end, I’m so glad I took that opportunity."
An impressive display during the three-day camp then led to the goalkeeper making history by becoming the first player from grassroots football to be called up to the full Under-18 Wales national team squad at the Vale.
Just four days into the camp, the then 17-year-old made his Wales Under-18 debut for his country against England coming on for the final 20 minutes.
Hughes didn't know what to expect when he turned up amongst players from Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
“The head of operations of the Wales youth futsal teams rung my dad not long after saying I had done really well for the Under-19s," said Hughes.
“He mentioned that Wales Under-18s' football squad didn’t have a third-choice goalkeeper and had asked if I’d give it a go! It was something I never expected.
“I turned up to the Vale Resort, and I had no clue what I was doing there, I knew no-one as they were all from Academies across the country.
“And no one knew who I was! I came in at 17-years-old, and it was a lot different to what I was used to.
“I think I managed to hold my own a little bit, mainly because of the adrenaline of being there.
“The coaches sat me down the day before a friendly, and they told me that I was going to come on. The surprises just kept on coming!
“I actually thought they were joking at first, because I had only been there for four days. In my head, there was no way they were going to ask me to play.
“I had no professional academy experience at all, which all of the boys did and they told me I’d make my debut against England.
“I remember warming up on the pitch, and I was just so amazed that I was going to go on. I was only subbed on in the last 20 minutes, but the time for me didn’t matter.
“That game really was the turning point in my career, basically those 20 minutes changed my life!”
Little did Hughes know that just over a month later, the likes of Chelsea, Brighton and Hove Albion and Swansea would come knocking.
All within the space of two months and, after trials within the EFL, making his Wales debut, Hughes had his heart set on returning home.
“March came around and I had agents texting me and my dad, and I had clubs asking who I was, it was surreal," he said.
“I went on trial to Cheltenham Town first, and then Forest Green Rovers, in which I was with the first team.
“Swansea was up next, and I remember it so clearly. I ended up doing well for myself, and it was kind of the perfect trial.
“I was supposed to be here for a week but, after three days, I was offered a scholarship.
“I took it straight away, I couldn’t turn down the offer from my hometown club, and it now meant I could be closer to my family.
“When I was a younger player, I didn’t really know what it meant to be rejected from an academy. But as I grew older, I knew I needed to be in an academy if I was to make it as a footballer.
“When I got in as a more mature player, you understand what you need to do to be in an academy, and I actually think my experiences before I joined Swansea helped me.”
He became a regular within the under-18s' set-up that season, making his Swans debut on August 14, 2021 in the age-grade side's 3-2 victory over Barnsley.
Hughes went on to make over 10 appearances in the Professional Development League that season, before making the step-up to Jon Grey and Anthony Wright's under-21 squad the following campaign.
“In my first season, it was a bit of a struggle trying to get up to speed and adapt to full-time training," said Hughes.
“The back-end of that season, I started picking up momentum, getting to know all of the boys, it was a great time.
“At Chippenham, it was not as intense. I didn’t really have a goalkeeping coach, the team would just do shooting drills and I’d be in goals.
“Here, you have education, gym and double sessions at times. It was a lot to get used to, it took a lot out of me at first but it’s something you just pick up.
“Before the 2022 season, I got told I would be with the under-21s and I really started to kick on from there.
“I improved massively, trained hard and started feeling a lot more comfortable with my surroundings."
“I had to be patient for my under-21s' debut and, when I got, it was a huge relief. I did well against Charlton, and we won 3-2.
“A couple of weeks later, I trained with the first team. Again, it was completely surreal, training with your home team and the team you support.
“I was then in the travelling squad against Norwich. It was such a good experience for me, seeing how a first-team matchday operates and getting to warm-up on the pitch."
After putting in some brilliant performances in between the sticks in his maiden season at under-21 level, the boyhood Swans fan went on to sign professional terms.
"It was around that time that I was offered my first professional contract, those two months were probably the best two months of my career to date," said Hughes.
“I remember that phonecall from my agent so vividly. I just remember smiling constantly and being so happy in the following weeks.
“I was tempted to keep it a secret from my friends and wait for them to see it on the website, but I couldn’t resist!
“The pro deal has given me the security that I’ve wanted in my career, and for it to be at my club, I can’t describe the feeling.
“From then, I’ve been playing, training hard, and I went to the Scotland camp with the first team during the World Cup and that continued on through to this season."
However, the 2023-24 season has been a series of ups and downs for the Welsh goalkeeper.
From playing for the first team in pre-season, to making his full Wales Under-21 debut, Hughes has since suffered with illness and has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
“I made my Wales Under-21s' debut in September 2023, and the under-21s are one step away from the first team, I’ve come so far when I think about it," added Hughes.
“Being told you’re going to start against Liechtenstein was an amazing feeling. I think the best bit about it was that my family was there.
“My grandfather was there, and he’s been one of the biggest figures in my footballing career, it was a big special moment all round.
"I had a couple of starts and appearances for the under-21s, until I got glandular fever for four weeks in November.
"Then in training, I just simply kicked a ball and I tore my meniscus and I've had surgery since. Now, my focus is just getting back on that pitch."
Swansea City’s head of academy goalkeeping, Paul Wavell, praised the attitude the teenager has shown since joining the club.
“Ben’s journey has been incredible,” he said.
"He was a local boy who was not really on our radar. He came in on trial and we saw some really good attributes in him.
“From there he has just worked incredibly hard. He has developed a huge amount over the last 18 months and he thoroughly deserves the opportunity to have a pro contract.
“He warrants it, he has been really open to learning and taking on information.
“He has taken his opportunities really well. He has pushed himself and we knew he would be ready when given the chance to step up with the under-21s.
“He has plenty of competition but he responds so well to that. He comes in every day with a desire to improve, a complete determination to make saves as a goalkeeper."