Bryan Hughes left Wrexham for Birmingham after FA Cup exit

Brian Flynn's side reached the last eight of the competition for the third time in the club's history in the 1996-97 season, beating higher division sides West Ham United and Birmingham City along the way.

Attacking midfielder Hughes, then aged 20 and a product of Wrexham's youth system who had established himself in the Reds side, played a huge part in the cup adventure as he scored against the Hammers, Blues, Colwyn Bay and Scunthorpe United.

But neither he or his team-mates could find the net as Wrexham bowed out 1-0 against fellow-Division Two outfit Chesterfield at Saltergate on Sunday March 9, 1997.

However, despair turned to joy the following day when Hughes made the switch to second tier Birmingham, becoming the first-ever Reds' player to be sold for £1million.

Ironically, the Liverpudlian was snapped up by Trevor Francis, the first British footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee, who was obviously impressed with how Hughes has performed when the Reds won 3-1 against his Blues side in the fifth round just weeks earlier.

"That season gave me a bit more prominence," recalls Hughes.
"I scored in every round of the FA Cup and against high profile teams like West Ham and Birmingham.

"It was a fantastic run. We had a really good team, Brian Flynn had generated a really good squad of experienced players mixed with an influence of youth and promise. 

"We gelled really well. Even though I was a young lad, I was travelling every day with the likes of Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly and Barrie Jones, experienced first-teamers who had seen a lot more than I had at that time.

"It was a place where I felt I belonged. I probably made a million mistakes as a young lad learning his trade but it was a great foundation for me to learn from experienced professionals and start my career."

Hughes was already earning admirers before the season started but the cup run and the key role he played, particularly against Birmingham when he scored Wrexham's equaliser at St Andrew's, meant a big money move was on the cards but only after Wrexham's interest in the competition came to an end.

"I think a year or so before, there were a couple of high profile clubs that were interested in me but it didn't materialise," said Hughes.

"We had the cup run and we played Birmingham along the way, we performed really well on the day and beat them comfortably 3-1 on one of the greatest days of my Wrexham career.

"The scenes were amazing. The fans that we took to St Andrew's, it was just a great occasion.

"I didn't know anything about the move. I think it got kept under wraps because at that time, we were trying to earn as much money as possible from the FA Cup run.

"The club didn't want it to be a distraction but as soon as you went out of the cup, I think it was all done."

(Image: PA)

Just a day after the hugely disappointing cup exit to the Spireites and Wrexham cashed in on Hughes.

"One of the worst times of my career at Wrexham was the defeat to Chesterfield. That was on a Sunday live on television," he added.

"The first time I heard anything about the move was on the Monday morning.

"I had a call off Brian saying that they'd agreed a fee with Birmingham and I was going to see Trevor Francis.

"From such a low moment to then picking yourself up to go and speak to the first £1million player who was now a manager.

"It was a big challenge for me. I was only 20 years old at the time, but we thrashed out a deal. 

"We drove up to Birmingham the following day, they had a home fixture on the Tuesday night.

"I did a medical and signed the papers, got introduced to the team in the dressing room before the game which we won against Manchester City, and from then on I was a Birmingham City player."

Hughes made a total of 293 appearances for Birmingham, scoring 42 goals, and he played for the Blues in the Premier League as well as Charlton Athletic and Hull City.

Once his playing career came to an end, Hughes went back to where it all began when he was appointed Wrexham manager in February 2019.

Although he'd previously had a spell as joint boss of Scarborough, it was his first managerial post and he was the third person to charge of the Reds in 2018-19 following Sam Ricketts and Graham Barrow.

Despite the managerial changes, Wrexham were challenging for promotion from the National League.

"I was very privileged to take the job at Wrexham. I was very fortunate," said Hughes.

"It came out of the blue for me personally. 

"They've gone through a couple of managers that year with Sam and Graham.

"Usually when you get offered a job, it's when a team is not doing too well but when I came in, Wrexham were fifth in the league but weren't doing well at the time. I think they'd lost five of the previous six games. 

"I knew there was strength in the squad, a lot of experience there. It was just a case of  picking them up and try to get more belief into them to try and get out of the rut, and I managed to do that quite quickly.

"My first game as a manager was against Peter Taylor, an ex-England manager, who was in charge of Dagenham

"Another daunting experience but we managed to win 1-0. From that point on, we instilled a bit of a belief in the team. 

"Don't get me wrong, we had a few rocky games as well which we lost but I think the 15 games I was in charge for that season, we won nine of them and we'd stabilised.

"It culminated in us being in the play-offs and being close to going up."

Wrexham finished fourth but the promotion dream came to an end following a 1-0 home defeat to Eastleigh in the eliminator tie.

Kieran Kennedy had a goal disallowed before Danny Hollands' stunning extra-time goal meant the Reds' non-league nightmare continued.

"It's fine margins," added Hughes, who was sacked in September 2019 after the poor start to the following campaign.

"I know that anyway, from playing at all different levels right up to the Premier League.

"It was one of those games against Eastleigh, I don't think we would have scored if we'd kept going all night. 

"But we threw everything at it, a disallowed goal which should have been counted in my eyes.

"One of their rare attacks and their guy puts it in some 25 yards on the volley. 

"It was heartbreaking.  I'd already had them as a player, losing three play-offs with Birmingham before going up, and it was a disappointing end to the season but fine margins cost us."