Tranmere Sign International Midfielder

....on loan from Sky Bet League Two side Cambridge United until the end of the season.

An attacking left-sided midfielder, Hughes penned a two-year deal with Cambridge during the last close season.

After playing his early football with Northern Irish side Larne, he moved across the water to join Lincoln City in 2005, racking up sixty-eight appearances prior to Crystal Palace snapping him up for the Championship campaign of 2007/08.

Either side of his ten matches for the Eagles that season, Hughes also enjoyed a nine-game loan spell with Peterborough United.

Released by Palace in May 2008, he signed a three-year contract with Bristol Rovers, becoming a first-team regular during his time at the club.

A threat in front of goal, he scored 40 times in 140 appearances for the Gasheads but, surprisingly, was not offered a further deal.

Notts County then benefited from his experience during ninety-nine games at Meadow Lane, with Hughes adding another 24 goals to his career tally.

Also capable of playing in a central role, he plied his trade with Fleetwood Town for two years, winning promotion from League Two, until his arrival at the Abbey Stadium.

The 30-year old scored three times in seven games for Northern Ireland at under-21 level, before earning two full caps in 2006 during a tour to America.