Amber Hughes is averaging almost a goal a game for Wolverhampton Wanderers – and having just made a century of appearances for the club in her four years there, she’s on the verge of scoring her 100th goal as well.
She notched her 99th in a 7-1 win over Wythenshawe last weekend – and could get the magic 100th at home against Stoke City this Sunday.
Still, Amber herself needed to be nudged to remember the imminent milestone.
“I knew I’d recently got my 100 appearances, and I knew I was on 90 goals and 100 appearances, so I knew it was coming, but it wasn’t until someone said to me the other day, I was like, ‘Oh, of course, I’m close to 100,’ so I was aware of it but I forgot about it – but I’m fully aware now!” she told SheKicks.net.
“I wanted to be more of a goalscorer”
She joined Wolves in 2021, having previously played for Coventry and Nottingham Forest, but primarily as a winger. She and head coach Dan McNamara agreed that her skills would be best utilised further up the pitch.
“I came to Wolves wanting to be more of a goalscorer.When I was at Cov, I played more as a winger, so it was important to me – and Mac felt the same, he wanted to play me in the 9, and I’ve been playing a bit more in the 10 this year – but we’ve always spoken about the goals that I can bring to the team. I’m happy definitely with what I’ve been able to do in my time at Wolves.”
She explained: “When you’re on the wing, you’re assisting, and when I was training or put in front of goal I had been able to find the back of the net, so I was thinking. You get older, and thinking about what you want from the game, I suppose I’ve always appreciated and enjoyed celebrating goals, so I did come to Wolves telling Macca that I wanted to play higher up the pitch as opposed to on the wing.
“I did enjoy it on the wing but I feel like my game when I’m in the middle of the pitch, I can add more and contribute that way.”
And Amber’s goals so far this season have got Wolves off to a dream start. They sit at the top of the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier, unbeaten in their opening five matches, with 16 goals scored and three conceded.
“I love scoring but ultimately I just want the team to win,” she says. “The goal has been, from when I came into Wolves, to get them promoted. We’ve got a completely different squad this year, we’ve got depth, which I don’t think we’ve had before. We’re lucky in that respect, we have players that can come in and do a job, and we’ve got players who can come off the bench and do a job, and I think that’s massive.
“With a bit more money behind us and the program that they offer us and the facilities, they’ve been able to attract those players that we need.”
Amber Hughes: Goals are important to me
Most of Wolves’ players are in full-time work outside football – Amber herself works in a special needs school – with the club giving them three training sessions every week in the evening, plus an additional one in the daytime for those able to attend.
But that doesn’t mean they take their football any less seriously than their professional counterparts.
“Goals have always been important to me as part of my game,” she says. “I’ve always put a bit of pressure on myself, the expectation to score, and I think it’s [the 100 goals] been talked about a lot.
“I’ve got friends and family coming on Sunday, so I have worried that I might get stuck on 99 for a while! I’m hoping not, but I’ll be glad to get it, and know I’ve got that achievement, and then just move on from there.”
