Hughes signs new contract

Richard Hughes has become the first of the clutch of out of contract players this summer to agree to, and sign, a new contract.

Ahead of the game last night the Scot put pen to paper on a new deal that will take him through until the summer of 2011, and he voiced his delighted at this with what he told the Pompey Site upon doing so: 'I'm delighted to commit my future to Pompey, a club I love.

'I've had six-and-a-half fantastic years and have been asked to extend my stay. It was an easy decision to make.

'The supporters are unbelievable and Tony Adams is a manager I want to play for. Tony deserves success here and I'm delighted to be part of his reign at the club.

'The challenges have been different every season I've been at the club.

'In my first season we got promotion to the Premier League, which we then had to fight to stay in. And since then we've got into the top 10, won the FA Cup and played in Europe.

'We have another challenge now, which is to get enough points to stay in the Premier League.

'But we have fighters in the squad and the manager is a winner. The personnel may change over the years here, but the fighting spirit at the club is always the same.'

We all know that Hughes is not the greatest footballer around, and we also all know that he would not be the first name you would put on the teamsheet - come on, lets be honest, but we all also know that you need people like him in and around your squad.

You need players that you can call on, that will not be moaning and groaning if they are not playing all the time, to come into the side and do a job no questions asked - and that is exactly what he will do.

PLAY UP POMPEY!

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