Hughes has been described as a "flair player" who uses through balls and mazy runs to create space for teammates and beat opposition defences in attacking positions. Hughes said in a December 2012 interview for the BBC, that he bases his play on Barcelona and Spanish international central midfielders Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. Hughes states his strengths are his passing and technical ability and targeted improvements in pace and physical strength. Growing up a Liverpool fan, his favourite player was Steven Gerrard, admiring his ability both in the tackle and as a playmaker. Hughes' former England U21 coach Stuart Pearce described Hughes as "technically a very sound player". "He rarely gave the ball away in training or in the game he played [against Northern Ireland], which is vitally important at international level. He's progressing really well."

From English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA