Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan Offical Match Programme

THE CENTURION IS STILL LIVING THE DREAM! Aaron Hughes has more reason than most to celebrate the legacy of Euro 2016.

,EZMRK FIGSQI 2SVXLIVR -VIPERHŭW ƤVWX SYXƤIPH centurion a day before travelling to France (in the JVMIRHP] EKEMRWX 7PSZEOME MR 8VREZE XLI I\TIVMIRGIH defender faced the prospect of his playing career coming to the end of the road. But after playing three of the four games in France, XLI I\ 2I[GEWXPI 9RMXIH %WXSR :MPPE ERH *YPLEQ star, who turned 37 on Tuesday, wasn’t ready to hang up his boots just yet. “I was half thinking about calling it a day after the Euros because I didn't know how it was going to go. But being involved in it and having played and getting the desire back and playing in those big WXEHMYQW MX PMX XLI ƤVI EKEMR - ORI[ - GSYPHRŭX VIXMVI ű said Hughes, who is now plying his trade in India with Kerala Blasters. “I went back and said we weren’t staying in Australia, that I have to keep playing and then it was a case of seeing what my options were. I

was looking back home and then the India move popped up. It took me to the end of the year and then the January window opens up. It gives me ERSXLIV WM\ QSRXLW XS ƤKYVI SYX [LEX - [ERX XS HS But this is something I'm glad I've done. Ű8LI I\GMXIQIRX SJ XLI KEQIW ERH XLI EHVIREPMR was something I missed in Melbourne. Ű- [EW I\GMXIH NYWX XS FI MR *VERGI ERH I\TIVMIRGI everything whether I played or not and then I got KEQI XMQI ERH MX [IRX FI]SRH Q] I\TIGXEXMSRW and dreams.” “I'm living the dream. I mean that sincerely,” said Hughes. “That's why I didn't retire after the Euros. “After playing in the Euros and getting a taste once again of playing in the big stadiums against the big teams, which I really enjoy, I thought ‘why should I let that all go?’ I still want to perform on the big stage.”

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