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RAGS TO RICHES
I was on Jobseeker’s Allowance and earning £60 a week – I never thought I’d end up playing in the Premier League
He's been promoted with several sides and worked with David Moyes
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JORDAN HUGILL used to sign on the dole and queue up every two weeks for his giro.
And when he did get a job — pulling pints in a Middlesbrough boozer — the idea of becoming a professional footballer felt like a pipe dream.
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Little did he expect he would rack up 412 appearances — and 92 goals.
Rotherham striker Hugill went from earning £120 a fortnight to a reported £30,000 a week.
And he is proud of a career that saw him get a £10million move to West Ham and £5m switch to Norwich, play in the Prem and win promotion from the Championship with the Canaries as well as from League One with Preston.
Now the 31-year-old has his heart set on helping the Millers return to the Championship and win the EFL Trophy.
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Hugill — who has appeared for 17 different clubs in his 15-year career — said: “When I was 19, I was on Jobseeker’s Allowance so I’ve been on one hell of a journey.
“Back then I never thought I would be a footballer, let alone make it to the Premier League.
“That’s something no one can take away from me. I’m proud of what I’ve done and achieved and I’d like to think I’ve still got a good number of years to go.”
Hugill hit rock bottom after damaging his ACL while playing for non-league Whitby and was out for ten months.
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And his gloom was only exasperated by being out of work.
He added: “I didn’t have a job, was visiting an NHS physio and it was at that point I said, ‘I can’t do this any more’ so got a job behind the bar at The Dickens Inn in Middlesbrough.
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“I worked as a barman for two years before getting my big break at Port Vale.”
But after playing for the Valiants and Preston — as well as doing the hard yards on loan at the likes of Tranmere and Hartlepool — he got another massive opportunity thanks to David Moyes.
Seven years ago yesterday Hugill completed his move to West Ham during Moyes’ first spell with the club — a brief six-month relegation firefighting mission.
Hugill said: “Moyes was brilliant with me. He understood I wasn’t a signing that was going to light the world on fire.
I didn’t have a job, was visiting an NHS physio and it was at that point I said, ‘I can’t do this any more’ so got a job behind the bar at The Dickens Inn in Middlesbrough.
Jordan Hugill
“He knew with time he was going to develop me, so I was working with him every day to improve, and I got to be the best I’ve ever been.
“Then at the end of the season they didn’t renew his contract, and I was left in the dark when Manuel Pellegrini came in.”
After loan spells with West Brom and Cardiff, Hugill joined Rotherham two years ago — and helped the club stay in the Championship before they eventually went down last summer.
This season he has mainly been used as a sub in the league.
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He has come off the bench 14 times while making four starts — managing a single goal against Stevenage back in October.
Hugill is expected to be on the bench again as the Millers travel to leaders Birmingham today, sitting seven points off the play-offs.
However, he has featured prominently in the EFL Trophy games — scoring four goals from four starts.
And he hopes to shoot Rotherham into the semi-finals by beating League Two opponents Bradford at New York Stadium on Tuesday.
Hugill continued: “I’ve enjoyed playing in the trophy games because I’ve not only been starting, I’ve been scoring too.
“When I look back on my career, I’ve achieved an awful lot.
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“I’ve got a Championship winners medal, I’ve got a League One promotion medal, I’ve got a nice case with a ball in it that says I’ve made a Premier League appearance.
“It would be great to add another medal to that collection.”
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