With United always keen to improve their academy setup, they've now appointed a new Head of Academy Football Development and Methodology. Like Torpey, who arrived in 2025, Hughes joins United after working previously at City, where he held multiple roles. Hughes' most recent role at City was Head of Coaching, but he now crosses the city to take up a different role at Carrington.
He swept into Chelsea, he floated in, he didn't walk. I've never seen anything like him in terms of personality and also in methodology, in a way of working. He was something for me that was almost like a UFO. He was not like anything I'd seen before. I have to say it was as much down to his methodology and his way of working, but it's down to him. There's something about Thomas for me ... There's stardust there.