Hughes: I know it’s not enough just to say sorry

The former Coventry and West Bromwich striker, now Oldham's latest recruit, sat stony-faced as the beam of publicity shone on him.

Scroll down for more

Hughes was released a week ago, little more than half-way through a six-year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving and fleeing the scene of the accident after his £100,000 Mercedes crashed into a car near his home in Meriden, west Midlands, in 2003, resulting in the death of father-of-four Douglas Graham, 56.

Both club and player tried not to be drawn into the moral argument over whether Hughes, now 31, should walk straight into a job paying £80,000 a year.

Before being whisked off to watch his new team in Carling Cup action at Turf Moor last night, he did, however, appear contrite as he admitted his time behind bars had given him plenty to ponder.

"I've served the sentence laid down by the law," he said. "Nothing I can do, or say, will change what has happened. I've hated myself. Three years is a long time in prison. I've had a long time to think about what went wrong in my life. I've had to live with myself.

"I keep saying 'sorry', but I know it's not good enough. People probably won't believe me, but if I can be a better person by helping people not to make the mistakes I made, then I will.

"I've now got the opportunity to rebuild my life. I have made dreadful mistakes. It's affected my immediate family and children — and I will never forgive myself for that. I've been away from them for three years. It hurts like hell to see them unhappy.

"Football is not the most important thing here. It's people's lives. I've let my family down."

Football clubs are moral vacuums and it will surprise nobody in the wider world to learn Hughes had to weigh up a number of offers as he counted down the days to his release.

He chose Oldham partly because they gave him the chance to uproot and totally rebuild his life away from the Black Country.

The area once meant everything to Hughes, the former roofer who lived his dream when he left non-League Kidderminster to play for West Bromwich, the club he supported as a youngster.

All that changed with his £5millionmove to Coventry and he was unable to shake off some of the more unsavoury characters who attach themselves to high-profile footballers, culminating in his decision to drive home after a Saturday night out, one that cost Mr Graham his life.

Hughes's eyes used to laugh all the time. They were sunken and dark yesterday.

However, some small element of good may come from his incarceration. He has volunteered to work in the community — it was not a pre-requisite of the deal he agreed with the League One side — as he steels himself for the inevitable abuse from the stands.

He is eligible to play this weekend for Oldham even though he was sent off in his last match for the prison team at HMP Featherstone, near Wolverhampton.

But Athletic manager John Sheridan has had little time to assess his fitness.

Hughes said: "In going some way to facing my responsibilities, I've met with a relative of the man who died. I know there are going to be difficulties that lie ahead.

"It has always been my intention to do some community work centred on the mistakes I've made, in the hope that it could go some way towards preventing another tragedy."

Sheridan admitted that he is going to have to keep a special eye out for Hughes's welfare.

He said: "I've spoken to one or two of his former managers.

"I'm not here to have an opinion on what happened in the past — although I know loads of people will have.

"It's going to be difficult for him. It's going to be difficult and awkward for everyone. But if he can get back to what he was, then I will be delighted."