{{Short description|Welsh footballer (born 2001)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Elise Hughes | fullname = Elise Anna Hughes | image = Elise Hughes Lewes FC Women 2 Charlton Ath Women 0 17 10 2021-597 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = {{Nowrap|Hughes playing for Charlton Athletic in October 2021}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|04|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = Hawarden, Wales | height = | position = Forward | currentclub = Crystal Palace | clubnumber = 9 | youthclubs1 = Northop Hall Girls F.C. | youthclubs2 = Everton | years1 = 2017–2021 | clubs1 = Everton | caps1 = 22 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2020 | clubs2 = → Bristol City (loan) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2020–2021 | clubs3 = → Blackburn Rovers (loan) | caps3 = 19 | goals3 = 5 | years4 = 2021–2022 | clubs4 = Charlton Athletic | caps4 = 19 | goals4 = 5 | years5 = 2022– | clubs5 = Crystal Palace | caps5 = 48 | goals5 = 22 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Wales U16 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = 2017–2018 | nationalteam2 = Wales U17 | nationalcaps2 = 8 | nationalgoals2 = 3 | nationalyears3 = 2018 | nationalteam3 = Wales U19 | nationalcaps3 = 4 | nationalgoals3 = 1 | nationalyears4 = 2019– | nationalteam4 = Wales | nationalcaps4 = 31 | nationalgoals4 = 3 | pcupdate = 29 May 2025 | ntupdate = 3 June 2025 }}
'''Elise Anna Hughes''' (born 15 April 2001) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Crystal Palace and the Welsh national team.
==Early life== Hughes was born in Hawarden, Flintshire.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47791985 |title=Elise Hughes: The teenager starring for Wales & Everton |work=BBC Sport |date=3 April 2019 |publisher= }}</ref> Her grandfather David and father Peter were both footballers.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" /> The family supports Everton.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" />
==Club career== Hughes came through Everton's Regional Talent Centre.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> In February 2018, Hughes made her first team debut for Everton in a 1–0 loss against Arsenal at 16 years old.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> Hughes scored her first professional goal in a derby win against Liverpool during the group stage of the FA WSL Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2018/12/17/elise-hughes|title=Girlhood Blue Hughes Revels In Derby Goal|website=www.evertonfc.com|language=en|date=17 December 2018|accessdate=20 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221041654/http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2018/12/17/elise-hughes|archive-date=21 December 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 4 January 2020, Hughes joined Bristol City on loan for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hughes joins City Women |url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/hughes-joins-city-women/ |website=www.bcfc.co.uk |date=3 January 2020 }}</ref> However, Hughes returned to Everton on 30 January to rehabilitate after suffering an ACL injury.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sargeant and Hughes sidelined with ACL injuries |url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/sargeant-and-hughes-sidelined-with-acl-injuries/ |website=Bristol City |date=30 January 2020 }}</ref>
In 2023-24, Hughes scored 16 goals in 21 games for Crystal Palace, winning the Championship Golden Boot as Palace won promotion to the WSL,<ref>{{cite web |title= Crystal Palace Women promoted to Women's Super League after clinching Women's Championship title |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/37001/13120929/crystal-palace-women-promoted-to-women-s-super-league-after-clinching-women-s-championship-title/ |website=Sky Sports}}</ref> however she suffered another ACL injury playing against Lewes in the penultimate game of the season.<ref>{{cite web |title= Wales forward Hughes suffers serious knee injury |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c88z0lvwy0wo |website=BBC Sport |date= 24 April 2024 }}</ref>
Elise is a UEFA Licence Holder and is involved in coaching her local club, Connah's Quay Nomads. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Julie |first=Hopp- |date=2024-01-25 |title=Cymru forward Elise Hughes inspires next generation of footballers from Connah's Quay |url=https://faw.cymru/adran-leagues/news/cymru-forward-elise-hughes-inspires-next-generation-of-footballers-from-connahs-quay/ |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=Genero Adran Leagues |language=en-US}}</ref>
==International career== Hughes has made appearances for the Wales women's national football team at the under-16 and under-17 levels.<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> She has been called up several times to the senior team, and made her senior debut 5 March 2018 in the Cyprus Cup against Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/flintshires-elise-hughes-full-wales-14286395|title=Flintshire's Elise Hughes in full Wales Women's football squad for Cyprus Cup|author=Dave Jones|website=www.dailypost.co.uk|date=13 February 2018|accessdate=24 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43285707|title=Cyprus Cup: Wales 0–0 Switzerland|website=www.bbc.co.uk|date=5 March 2018|accessdate=5 March 2018}}</ref> Elise now has 31 caps from Cymru and has scored 3 goals, the first of which was scored against Iceland in 2023 in the UEFA Women's Nations League. She suffered from an ACL which meant she was unable to play for many of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifiers.<ref>{{cite web |title= Wales forward Hughes suffers serious knee injury |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c88z0lvwy0wo |website=BBC Sport |date= 24 April 2024 }}</ref>
In June 2025, Hughes was named in Wales' squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cymru squad announced for UEFA Women's EURO 2025 finals |url=https://faw.cymru/news/cymru-squad-announced-for-uefa-womens-euro-2025-finals/ |publisher=Football Association of Wales |access-date=19 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250619092736/https://faw.cymru/news/cymru-squad-announced-for-uefa-womens-euro-2025-finals/ |archive-date=19 June 2025 |date=19 June 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Hughes scored the equalising goal for Wales during added time in their 2–2 draw with the Czech Republic in their opening game of the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign on 3 March 2026.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vincent |first=Gareth |date=3 March 2026 |title=Wales salvage late draw in Czech Republic |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/cd6z7vxxdeqt |access-date=3 March 2026 |work=BBC Sport}}</ref>
== Career statistics == === Club === {{updated|match played 23 April 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Wales - E. Hughes - Profile with news, career statistics and history |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/elise-anna-hughes/464361/ |website=Soccerway |access-date=11 May 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="5" |Everton |2017–18 | rowspan="4"|Women's Super League |6||0||0||0||0||0||6||0 |- |2018–19 |12||0||1||0||1||1||14||1 |- |2019–20 |4 |0 |0 |0 |4 |1 |8 |1 |- |2020–21 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !22!!0!!1!!0!!5!!2!!28!!2 |- |Bristol City (loan) |2019–20 |Women's Super League |3||0||0||0||0||0||3||0 |- |Blackburn Rovers (loan) |2020–21 | rowspan="4"|Women's Championship |19 |5 |2 |1 |2 |1 |23 |7 |- |Charlton Athletic |2021–22 |19||5||2||0||3||2||24||7 |- | rowspan="4" |Crystal Palace |2022–23 |21||6||1||0||3||0||25||6 |- |2023–24 |21||16||2||1||3||3||26||20 |- |2024-25 |Women's Super League |6||0||2||0||0||0||8||0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !48!!22!!5!!1!!6!!3!!59!!26 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !111!!32!!10!!2!!16!!8!!137!!42 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {{updated|matches played 28 October 2025}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Wales - E. Hughes - Profile with news, career statistics and history |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/elise-anna-hughes/464361/ |website=Soccerway |access-date=11 May 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="8" |Wales |2018||3||0 |- |2019||6||0 |- |2020||1||0 |- |2021||1||0 |- |2022||3||0 |- |2023||8||1 |- |2024||3||2 |- |2025||7||1 |- ! colspan="2" |Total!!32!!4 |}
:''Scores and results list Wales's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hughes goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Elise Hughes |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- |align="center"|1 |1 December 2023 |Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |{{fbw|ISL}} |align="center"|'''1'''–2 |align="center"|1–2 |2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League |- |align="center"|2 |rowspan="2"|8 April 2024 |rowspan="2"|Zahir Pajaziti Stadium, Podujeva, Kosovo |rowspan="2"|{{fbw|KOS}} |align="center"|'''5'''–0 |rowspan="2" align="center"|6–0 |rowspan="2"|UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying |- |align="center"|3 |align="center"|'''6'''–0 |- |align="center"|4 |28 October 2025 |Rodney Parade, Newport, Wales |{{fbw|POL}} |align=center|'''1'''–0 |align=center|2–5 |Friendly |- |align="center"|5 |14 April 2026 |Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales |{{fbw|ALB}} |align=center|'''2'''–0 |align=center|4–0 |2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Crystal Palace F.C. (Women) squad}} {{Wales squad UEFA Women's Euro 2025}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Elise}} Category:Living people Category:2001 births Category:Sportspeople from Hawarden Category:Footballers from Flintshire Category:Women's Super League players Category:Everton F.C. Women players Category:Bristol City W.F.C. players Category:Crystal Palace F.C. (Women) players Category:Welsh women's footballers Category:21st-century Welsh sportswomen Category:Women's association football forwards Category:Charlton Athletic W.F.C. players Category:Women's Super League 2 players Category:Wales women's international footballers Category:UEFA Women's Euro 2025 players Category:Wales women's youth international footballers