LESS THAN TWO weeks after guiding the club to an eighth-place Premiership finish, Mark Hughes announced his resignation as Fulham manager in a short statement earlier this evening.
The Welshman, who has been involved in Premier League management since taking over as Blackburn Rovers boss in 2004, has been heavily linked with the post left vacant by Gerard Houllier’s departure from Aston Villa, though he maintains that he has not been approached with a job offer from any club.
“I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that neither myself nor my representative have approached or have been approached by another club,” said Hughes earlier this evening. “This decision to leave Fulham has not been influenced by any outside party.”
However, the former Manchester United striker also indicated that his departure was closely linked to a desire to further his career, saying that ”I hope the supporters and all those connected to the club will understand that as a young, ambitious manager I wish to move on to further my experiences.”
“I would like to thank the chairman, directors, players and fans of Fulham football club for their support over the last 12 months and wish them every success for the future.
“I have especially enjoyed an excellent relationship with the chairman and chief executive [and] I believe my management team and I have done a good job and the club has a strong foundation from which they can go forward.”
