Kevin McHugh

McHugh was born in Letterkenny and raised in the border town of Killea in County Donegal.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

McHugh scored and made his debut for Ballybofey-side, Finn Harps, against Fanad United in the League of Ireland Cup as just a novice 17-year-old in August 1998. He went on to make 184 appearances for the side, building up a reputation as one of the deadliest forwards in the Irish game by scoring 110 league goals. In 2005, the striker became one of just five then-current players to join the 38-strong group of players to have scored 100 or more league goals in the modern era. McHugh scored his 99th and 100th League of Ireland goals at Finn Park on 22 October 2005 as Harps thrashed Longford 5-0.https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2005/1024/Pg030.html#Ar03003:43E73445174145173446674146673446B74146B73447174147173447C74142173442974142973442E74142E73443474143473443B741 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

Despite the relegation of Finn Harps from the League of Ireland Premier Division, McHugh finished third highest scorer in the 2005 season with 13 goals. He attracted the attention of other clubs, including Shelbourne and Bohemians, before the beginning of the 2006 season. Only Brendan Bradley has scored more goals than McHugh for Finn Harps. In his first spell at the club, the Killea man scored 122 goals in 248 games for Harps and was top scorer for the club in six successive seasons from 2000/01 until he left Finn Park in 2005. He was top scorer in the First Division three times in a row with Harps.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/iertops.html |title=Ireland - List of Topscorers |accessdate=6 July 2016 |url-status=live |website=RSSSF |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406093820/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iertops.html |archivedate= 6 April 2012 }}

McHugh signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Linfield in January 2009.{{cite web |url=http://www.linfieldfc.com/latestnews.asp?nid=3656 |title=Welcome to Linfield Football Club |accessdate=2009-01-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713212139/http://www.linfieldfc.com/latestnews.asp?nid=3656 |archivedate=13 July 2011 }} Kevin scored his first Linfield goal on his first start with a last gasp winner at home to Institute. He had a setback at the start of the next season, with a serious hamstring injury. This left him sidelined for over 4 months, never recovered and left and returned to Finn Park for their preseason.{{cite web |url=http://linfieldfc.com/matchreport.asp?mid=512 |title=Welcome to Linfield Football Club |accessdate=2009-01-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713210845/http://linfieldfc.com/matchreport.asp?mid=512 |archivedate=13 July 2011 }}

McHugh signed back for Harps in February 2010{{cite web |url=http://www.finnharps.com/News/100211McHughGorman.htm |title=Finn Harps FC Ballybofey Donegal's Senior Soccer Club |accessdate=2010-02-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711003434/http://www.finnharps.com/News/100211McHughGorman.htm |archivedate=11 July 2011 }}

In his first three seasons back with the Ballybofey club he has scored 36 goals, 12 in his first season, 11 in his second and 13 goals in 2012 making him ninth in the all-time League of Ireland goalscoring list with 154 league goals.

His testimonial was contested by a Donegal GAA select and a Finn Harps select at Finn Park, with one half Gaelic football and the other half soccer.{{cite news|url=http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/11/13/soccer-and-gaa-join-forces-to-give-sportstar-mchugh-a-unique-testimonial-game/|title=Soccer and GAA join forces to give sportstar McHugh a unique testimonial game|work=Donegal Daily|date=13 November 2012|accessdate=13 November 2012}}

In October 2016, McHugh suffered a freak injury while hosting an under-age coaching session in Donegal. When he was jumping over a gate to get a set of goalposts, his wedding ring got caught in the fence and he severed a finger.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/finn-harps-kevin-mchugh-retires-after-losing-finger-1.2826978|title = Finn Harps' Kevin McHugh retires after losing finger| newspaper=The Irish Times }} The finger was too badly damaged to be repaired and the injury ended his football career.{{cite news|title=Finn Harps footballer Kevin McHugh severs finger|work=BBC News|date=6 October 2016|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-37571814|accessdate=10 October 2016}}

McHugh has also played for Kildrum Tigers.{{cite news|url=https://donegalnews.com/2020/06/the-best-xi-i-played-against-aidan-mclaughlin/|title=The Best XI I Played Against: Aidan McLaughlin|work=Donegal News|date=23 June 2020|accessdate=23 June 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2020/09/07/late-mchugh-brace-sees-kildrum-edge-kilmac-in-cup-semi/|title=McHugh brace sees Kildrum edge Kilmac in Cup semi|date=7 September 2020|accessdate=7 September 2020}}

McHugh joined the Academy setup in Finn Harps soon after his retirement from playing professional football. In November 2016, McHugh was named as the manager of the Finn Harps under-15 team for the inaugural League of Ireland under-15 season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.donegalsporthub.com/kevin-mchugh-named-finn-harps-15-manager/|title = Kevin McHugh named as Finn Harps' Under-15 manager|date = 29 November 2016}}

In 2017, McHugh was named Head of Finn Harps Academy.

In 2024, following a disastorous season for the Harps first team on the pitch, the club appointed Darren Murphy as manager with McHugh joining Murphy as assistant manager for the 2024 season.{{Cite web |last=Craig |first=Frank |date=2023-11-27 |title=Kevin McHugh joins Finn Harps first team coaching staff |url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/soccer/1358584/kevin-mchugh-joins-finn-harps-first-team-coaching-staff.html |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=www.donegallive.ie |language=en}} The season came close to a play-off spot with Harps finishing 6th place in the First Division. Murphy departed the club in 2025 to take up a managerial role at Loughall with McHugh taking on an interim managerial role.

On 2 April 2025, McHugh was appointed first-team manager of Finn Harps. {{cite web|url=https://finnharps.ie/kevin-mchugh-appointed-finn-harps-manager/|title=Kevin McHugh Appointed Finn Harps Manager|website=finnharps.ie|date=2 April 2025|accessdate=9 April 2025}}

;Individual

• League of Ireland First Division Player of the Year
• 2002, 2004
• League of Ireland First Division Top Scorer
• 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004, 2012: 4

;Finn Harps

• League of Ireland First Division
• 2004: 1

;Derry City

• FAI Cup
• 2006: 1
• League of Ireland Cup
• 2006, 2007, 2008: 1

• Northwest Derby

{{reflist}}

• {{Twitter}}
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4583644.stm BBC Sport Online – Derry City capture striker McHugh (2006-01-05)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110713212139/http://www.linfieldfc.com/latestnews.asp?nid=3656 Kevin McHugh Signs For Linfield]
• {{soccerway|kevin-mchugh/7060}}

{{League of Ireland managers}}

{{League of Ireland First Division top scorers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McHugh, Kevin}}

Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Letterkenny

Category:Association footballers from County Donegal

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers

Category:League of Ireland players

Category:NIFL Premiership players

Category:Finn Harps F.C. players

Category:Omagh Town F.C. players

Category:Derry City F.C. players

Category:Linfield F.C. players

Category:Kildrum Tigers F.C. players

Category:21st-century Irish sportsmen

Category:Irish association football managers

Category:Finn Harps F.C. managers