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September 20, 2024 8 mins

The Wellington Phoenix have re-signed centre back Isaac Hughes for another three A-League football seasons. 

The 20-year-old, former club academy player, made 11 appearances last year. 

Hughes' aim is to secure a regular starting spot with the team this season following Finn Surman's move to the United States. 

He joined Adam Cooper ahead of the Phoenix's pre-season match against Chatham Cup champions Olympic. 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
News looks it'd be on the Allsport Breakfast. Wonderful to
have your company.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Well.

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Recruitment still continues for the Wellington Phoenix, even though the
start of the A League season not too far away.
This one note more of a long term recruitment move
and they have re signed on a contract extension central
defender Isaac Hughes, who was already on the books for
this upcoming season, but the twenty year old has now
been signed for another three A League seasons, taking him

(00:25):
right through to the twenty twenty seven to twenty eight campaign.
Just twenty years old, you'd obviously expect him to be
become and move his way into a regular starter and
then be and I for some transfer opportunities up in
the Northern Hemisphere. But Isaac Hughes made eleven appearances for
the Phoenix Phoenix last season. Obviously someone from the academy,

(00:45):
someone who's grown up on the Carpety Coast, so certainly
a key member of the Phoenix's future. Let's talk to
Isaac Hughes now who joins the show about well resigning,
but also the Phoenix's preseason game against Wellington Olympic mart
and Lucky Park tomorrow afternoon morning to you, Isaac. Thanks
for your time mate. Firstly, can you just tell us
how much of a confidence boost has it been for

(01:07):
you having this contract extension all sorted at the start
of another season.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
It just gives me security, you know, it gives me.
It gives me clarity and going forward, it means I
can just focus on my football. I know I've got
everything else sorted out. I don't need to worry about,
you know, going into my last year. I don't need
to worry about getting injured at a bad time. I
just I've got the years ahead of me. I can
now just focus for the on my performances.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
And can you tell us how it was last season
making the stuff up to the A League from the
Academy eleven appearances, No doubt you went through all the
ups and downs that come with a debut season. I
know there was a bit of an injury in there too.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, it was. It was tough because I've never been
in a team where I'm not starting every week, So
it was weird because I wasn't I wasn't obviously first choice.
Scott in Thin did an amazing job last year and
I was younger, so I thought I had to learn
how to come off the bench in games. That was

(02:07):
really tough. I had to learn how to how to travel,
you know, play after traveling to Australia is another skill,
how to manage your body through that. And then of
course after I started getting some game time, I started
starting games. I got hit my first long term injury
in probably five years, so I had to deal with

(02:29):
that as well. So it was I learned a lot.
It was probably my biggest year of improvement and my
biggest year of like mental learnings I've had of my
life so far. So no, it was really I think
it was really beneficial that I wouldn't change anything about it.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, I was gonna ask mentally, what was the best
way coping with being on the subs bench if that
was sort of a situation and matches you weren't overly
used to three your time as a player. I guess
there would have been at times as well you didn't
even take to the field at all despite being on
the bench.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Well, it's going to sound like a cliche, but it
really is about just focusing on what you can control
and that that sort of means on a day to
day basis, you're coming in and training as well as
you can, trying to get into the start eleven and
then if you're not on a game day, still going
through your normal game day prep like you would if
you were starting, because you know you have to be ready.

(03:21):
Even on the bench, you can't. You've got to be
switched on watching the game, seeing what runs players are making,
seeing what you know if you come on, what what
impact are you're going to be able to have. You
know you need to you need to be fully switched on.
So the best way for me, I found is like,
just imagine you are starting to like prepare for it
as if you are starting. Then that's that was the

(03:43):
best mentality for me. It made the transition from a
bench player to a starting player really easy.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
And approaching another A league campaign for you, Now, how
much of a bit of player, Isaac do you think
you are right now compared to say, twelve months ago
at the start of your debut season.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
I think I'm much better than I was twelve months ago.
But it's funny because I've I've been saying that for
the past and however many years I've been. Sometimes I
watch old old games back and I go, God, I
was terrible, Like I have no idea what I'm doing,
But in a year's time I'll probably look back and
think I was terrible right now. So it's always a

(04:21):
journey of improvement, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, And it's for every off season. Players go, players come.
If you've had a large group of players join the
Phoenix through the off season, you're having some closed door
games against a league teams you've got to head out
with Wellington Olympic tomorrow. Is everything sort of coming together
well in terms of the team as a collectum.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
I think it's looking good. We're you know, we're finally
coming together in old trainings, all the new signings are in.
I think we have a really, really technically strong team
this year. I think everyone I can't think of a
single player in the squad who doesn't want the ball
at their feet, you know. So I think I think
we are a really strong We're going to be a

(05:03):
really strong team this year.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
And how do things change for you? Change for you
in the defensive unit with a new goalkeeper obviously Alex
Paulson last season and before him, Ollie sailed of you know,
proven to be very successful for the team. With the
clean sheet records and everything. So with Josh on your way,
you mean now with the glove sales, that transition to
adapting to his style going.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
I think, you know, ideally we if we don't want
to keeper making as many saves as as many saves
as you know they have been in previous years. But
I think I think that's just for us to do
our jobs, you know, in front of them. Obviously, we're
going to have to expect our keeper to make ship
saves from long shots and you know stuff, and we

(05:45):
need them to come out with big saves every now
and again. But I think if we get our defensive
structure right, I see no reason why we can't give
an easy transition for Josh. And he's a top keeper
as well, so I'm not worried about him as well.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Yeah, okay mentioned those closed door games with A League teams.
But this weekend the preseason, it's to Martin and Lucky
Park and there's a chance to take on Wellington Olympic,
the Chairham Cup winners tomorrow afternoon to a clock. What
kind of match do you expect this one to be?

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, these these games are always a lot, a lot
tougher than you think you know, it's it's very easy
for for people who don't don't understand the level of
like an Olympic to go into it thinking, oh, we're
a professional. They're not. You know, I know a lot
of the Olympic lads and there, like most of them

(06:35):
are quality players, you know. So it is going to
be a tough It will be a tough game. But yeah,
I'm excited to play a game in Wellington and hopefully
have some people there and you know, interact with fans
after the game and in.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
A preseason game like this. As a player, what kind
of things do you want to tick off a month
or so out from the start of the new season.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
For me, for me personally, first thing is ninety minutes,
Like getting through ninety minutes with your body fine is
a big It's a big thing. And then we want
to you know, act our game plan just as if
it was a normal A League game, like prepare for
it exactly as we would a normal A League game,

(07:16):
and hopefully we can bring out the stuff we've been
working on in training because that just makes the more
the more realistic games we can get, the easier the
A League is going to be.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
At the start of the year, and just in terms
of you're staying on with the Phoenix, sizegg Nodet, You've
you've swallowed a pathway to a starting spot with Finn
Sermon heading to the US during the off season, was
him leaving sort of a sign for you that that's
staying was with the Phoenix and signing a long term
deals is the best option for you right now and
possibly more guaranteed game time.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah. I mean, it's obviously then thinner quality player, so
having having him not hear me means my prospects to
starting a higher But I think I would no matter
what happened. My mentality would have still been I want
to be starting this year and it's still is that now.

(08:06):
I want to be starting this year. And you know,
if finished stayed, I would have had to fight from
my place, and now that he's gone, I have to
fight it for my place. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (08:16):
Indeed, Isaac, Hey, great to chat. Congratulations on signing a
long term deal which solidifies your future with the Phoenix.
I know there be a lot of people from around
Carpity and the Wellington region really proud of that and
stokes that you'll be back out for the team for
the next few seasons and all the best for the
preseason game tomorrow. Thanks for chatting.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
Mate, perfect cheers, Adam.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
Thank you for more from News Talks'd be listen live
on air or online, and keep our shows with you
wherever you go with our podcast on IAR Radio.
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