Fun fact Greenacre was born in Wakefield, about 80 km from Hughes's birthplace Warrington. Two no-nonsense Northern English types.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360944064/real-how-wellington-phoenix-players-learned-giancarlo-italianos-resignation
Italiano didn’t tell any of his players, leaving them to find out from the media – or, in Hughes’s case, through Corban Piper’s mum on the drive home.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360944064/real-how-wellington-phoenix-players-learned-giancarlo-italianos-resignation
Italiano didn’t tell any of his players, leaving them to find out from the media – or, in Hughes’s case, through Corban Piper’s mum on the drive home.
“I thought, is that real? I didn’t believe it. We got home, me, Corban and Shez [Matthew Sheridan], and we were all disappointed because Chief gave us all our first pro contracts and we owe a lot to him,” Hughes said.
“He’s really supported us as people and as footballers. To find out he has resigned, it was pretty upsetting.”
Only 21 and into his third season with the Phoenix, Hughes described Saturday’s thrashing by Auckland as the worst moment of his young career.
It was the Phoenix’s sixth defeat in as many derbies and their second by a five-goal margin.
Italiano said afterwards that he would be a calling for the coach’s head if his beloved Sampdoria lost a derby 5-0.
.........Hughes knows Greenacre well from the academy and described the club’s former striker as a proud Phoenix man.
“When I was in the academy if you were to lose a small-sided game by more than two goals you’d have to do extra running and the sports scientist would be pulling his hair out,” Hughes said.
“But Greeny is very much like ‘you don’t go under, you don’t give in.’ When that is emphasized every day the pride in the shirt comes naturally.”