A move to Australia promised a fresh challenge, says the veteran.
At 36 years of age and having spent the entirety of his career in one country, it was probably the last opportunity for Aaron Hughes to look for a fresh start at club level.
England was that country, with the Northern Irishman enjoying his most successful stints at Newcastle United (205 games) and Fulham (196 games) as well as periods at QPR, Aston Villa and Brighton.
So when Hughes got the call from his agent about a potential opportunity down under, it was something he could not turn down, with little qualms about the impending decision.
“At the end of last season, after the internationals, I was back home, considering options and my agent gave me a call and said ‘I’ve got this option here, would you be interested in it?’” Hughes told the media.
“It was something I was very keen on doing, so that was pretty much it.
“Apart from the phone call that I got, I said ‘Yeah, definitely, if it’s an opportunity to come here (Australia/City), I’d love to do it’ and it progressed from there.
“I was keen to do it. I was at a stage where I was looking for something new, fresh and being in England my whole life, that appealed to me to go away and try a different league and new experiences, different surroundings.
“I think it was a good time to do it … I had no hesitation at all. That’s why when the call came in, I just said yes.”
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Hughes’ first challenge was to adjust to the physicality of his new environment in the A-League, spending the initial part of the 2015-16 season sidelined with fitness issues.
Even in the fresh surroundings, Hughes says the pace, technicality and style of the A-League came as little surprise to him as an elite competition and drew comparisons to his long career in the UK. Hughes says dialogue with former City import Damien Duff helped sell him the league as well as viewing the Socceroos.
“I knew Damien (Duff) from last year and he’d spoke highly of it (the league quality).
“He’d said that the quality was good and you have to be fit to compete in this league, to stand a chance. I didn’t think coming here that it would be an easy one.
“The national team (Socceroos) was one of the reasons why it appealed to me, because there’s maybe a few places around the world you could go for a new experience, but it might not give you that level of competition that you need to compete at the highest level.
“Coming here, I’d still be competing at a high level, but also be able to get the physical side of it.”
Hughes pointed to City’s recent matches against Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers as “frantic”.
“The two games I’ve featured (started) in have been against two of the top sides, so the nature of those games was a bit more frantic at times.
“It’s certainly a test, not just because of the standard and the quality of the teams we’ve played against but the fact that I haven’t played a lot of football.
“Even the first game against Sydney … it wasn’t the easiest introduction, which made it harder.
“It can be like that, it can be very frantic.
“No matter where you play, if you’re playing in the top league or the best particular league in that country, the standard and the fitness is always going to be high. You’re going to have a fast-paced game.”
Part of the Australian football experience is of course travelling further for away games. City’s trip to Perth at the weekend to face the Glory looms as Hughes’ longest domestic away trip in his career.
“Even travelling to Brisbane is probably the longest I’ve travelled for a domestic game … flying anyway,” Hughes joked.
“In England, sometimes if it’s not too far, you take the bus, but you get stuck in a traffic jam for four hours.
“It’s a long way (to Perth). But everyone said it’s a tougher journey just because of the time difference and the heat.
“But it’s part of the experience. It’s part of why I came here, to try new things and challenge myself in new ways.”
Above all, he is just pleased to be back on the pitch playing football.
“It’s been a relief just to get back on the pitch for a start … I’m just happy to be on the pitch and playing again.”
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