How generosity of Portsmouth players and board members past and present and wider football family have got Moneyfields prospect Josh Hughes back doing what he loves following career-saving surgery

But what followed surpassed the wildest dreams of the Moneyfields under-18 player and those closest to him as the generosity of the wider football family - quite literally - helped get him back on his feet.

It was August 2020 when Farlington-based Hughes suffered one of the worst injuries in football after rupturing his right anterior cruciate ligament following an innocuous fall during an in-house friendly while playing for Wessex League side Infinity.

Initially misdiagnosed as a sprain and then loose cartilage, it wasn't until some weeks later he was dealt the devastating news of a ruptured ACL and partial medial meniscus tear in his right knee.

Coming to terms with that as a teenager would have been tough enough at the best of times, but to then learn of a possible two or three year career-ending wait to undergo surgery dealt a further hammer blow.

So, with the serious risk of never being able to play again at the forefront of his mind, Hughes and his family launched a fundraising appeal in a bid to raise some cash to contribute towards the hefty £8,100 sum required in order to undergo surgery privately.

After setting up the page, donations were received far and wide - including pledges received from Leeds United and Millwall fans - along with Pompey players and staff past and present, as well as Blues owner Michael Eisner's son Eric, with £5,980 of the initial £8,000 start-up target raised.

And now, after completing 90 minutes for the Pompey in the Community College team he represents and Moneyfields under-18s in the past couple of weeks, 17-year-old Hughes wants to thank each and everyone who have helped him on his path to getting back to doing what he loves most.

‘A little can go a long way and the sheer volume of people who donated have helped me to be happy again within football and in life as well. I really, really appreciate everyone who did donate,’ said the Moneys under-18 prospect.

‘I just couldn’t believe it (the donations), it was almost emotional I suppose at some points, to be what is your life for 16 years of just non-stop football - nearly everyday for all of that 16 years - to be told you’ll never be able to do that again was quite hard. Then, for people to give me the opportunity again, has just meant a lot.

‘There were just random people on Twitter who put in about 50 quid which could be a fair chunk of their weekly wage. Any donation, big or small, they’ve gone out of their way to put it in which has meant quite a lot.

‘Originally we thought we’d get a few hundred quid and we’d try to do a lot of things to get the money together.

‘It was just so overwhelming, I just couldn’t believe the support, there were random people from Leeds - Leeds fans - even Millwall fans and all across the country (donating).’

An ‘overwhelmed’ Hughes just kept seeing the donations flood in, with current club Moneyfields and those with allegiances to Pompey included.

Current member of Blues head coach Danny Cowley's first-team squad, defender Sean Raggett, made a monetary contribution as did Ben Close, Cameron McGeehan – both at PO4 at the time – and Millwall's former Fratton favourite Jed Wallace all pledging their support.

The generosity extended to boardroom level with then-chief executive Mark Catlin, his son James and family providing funds, as did Eric Eisner.

And Hughes, who underwent his successful operation at Southampton’s Spire Hospital in November 2020, revealed Mark Catlin has remained in contact with his father, Anthony, wanting updates on his son's progress while Josh still exchanges messages with McGeehan - now in the Belgium top-flight with KV Oostende.

‘There was a lot of really big support. Sean Raggett was the first to donate and he put in a fair bit,’ the teenager revealed.

‘Mark Catlin (former Pompey chief executive) and his wife donated - he’s been emailing my dad throughout the whole time. His son, James Catlin, he’s always messaged me, just checking if I’m okay.

‘Jed Wallace donated, Cameron McGeehan put money in and he phones me to see how I am and he constantly texts me still to this day to see how I am.

‘Ben Close is probably the main one because I know his dad and brother quite well - I’ve played with his brother (Harry) for a few years.

‘Even Eric Eisner put in a donation as well and Mark Catlin got in touch with them (the Eisners) and we’ve been invited to a game and stuff.

‘The club (Pompey) have been really helpful with it, the same with Moneyfields with everything as well.’

Hughes’ long road to recovery and where he finds himself today - back doing what he loves and completing 90 minutes for Moneyfields under-18s and his PitC College side - certainly was not an easy one.

It was more than six months after his operation last November before he could even resume light contact training.

But Hughes says staying in and around the game, offering help coaching and refereeing little brothers Noah and Elliott's matches, proved a big factor on his comeback journey.

Now the former Springfield School student is hoping to join the Army as a royal engineer when his college studies are completed - and representing the Armed Forces football team moving forward.

‘I’d say probably actually sticking around football (helped him get through). I was always watching it or I was doing some sort of coaching with my little brother’s team,’ Hughes added.

‘I was just helping out and when I could start moving I would start refereeing their games.

‘I still do refereeing and coach because it’s good to be involved in stuff with the younger players.

‘My brother Noah’s team helped me out a lot with donating so they were really good.

‘I just thought I had to stick around football, if I wasn’t developing technically, I’d try to develop the football brain a bit more.

‘In the middle of next year I’m planning on joining the Army as a Royal Engineer and hopefully I can play quite a high level in the army.

‘My uncle is a royal engineer, he’s always someone I’ve looked up to, and he helped me through my knee injury and stuff.’