DONEGAL NATIVE CARL McHugh is heading to India to begin the next chapter in his career.
The 26-year-old, who can play in defence and midfield, has signed a two-year contract with Indian Super League club ATK, where Robbie Keane had a short spell as player-manager prior to his retirement.
A former Republic of Ireland U21 international, McHugh spent the last three years with Scottish Premiership club Motherwell, who he captained during the 2017-18 season.
He began his professional career at Reading and went on to play for Plymouth Argyle and Bradford City, as well as having a short loan stint at Dundalk in 2011. During his time at Bradford, McHugh helped the club to reach the 2013 League Cup final.
“India is a possibility,” he told The Daily Record last week when asked about his future. “I’ve played in England in League One and Two, I’ve played up here [in Scotland] and at 26 I’d like to experience something different, so it’s something I’d be interested in.
“I’d like to go and see a different part of the world. You have only got one career and I would like to have as many experiences as I could. I’ve got a girlfriend but no kids so I’m an easy traveller. There’s not too much uprooting so we’ll see what happens.”
ATK finished sixth in the 10-team Indian Super League in the 2018-19 season. The Calcutta-based club were crowned champions in 2014 and ’16.
Gavan Casey is joined by Murray Kinsella and Sean Farrell for a review of the 2018/19 season, and cast an eye forward to next year and the Rugby World Cup in Japan.:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here: