A-League club Melbourne City have confirmed the signing of defender Aaron Hughes.
The 35-year-old Northern Ireland international has joined City on a one-year deal after most recently playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Championship.
Hughes arrives in Melbourne being able to boast of a stellar career in the Premier League which featured stints with Newcastle United and Fulham as well as Aston Villa and QPR.
The 96-time international revealed that ex-Cottagers teammate Damien Duff spoke glowingly of City which helped him make the decision to join the Australian club.
“I played a few years with Damien Duff [at Fulham] and he spoke highly of not just the club but the people as well and said the whole experience was fantastic," Hughes said.
“I just want to come in here and have a good season, be solid and contribute what I can to the team. Hopefully we can improve and go even further this year."
During his career in England, Hughes made close to 280 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions while featuring a further 250 times with Fullham.
ANNOUNCEMENT | @MelbourneCity signs Aaron Hughes. #WelcomeAaron
Details: http://t.co/Lvald5GMFTpic.twitter.com/oq8ELIsse9
— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) July 13, 2015