Northern Ireland's Aaron Hughes convinced to continue by Euro 2016

By Cassie Nunn-Price

Thursday 6 October 2016 13:09, UK

Aaron Hughes has revealed he was convinced not to retire from international football by Northern Ireland's run to the last-16 of Euro 2016.

The 36-year-old was without a club when he began his country's first major tournament in 30 years and was deciding whether or not to quit having reached his 100th cap.

However, having played in three of the four games for Michael O'Neill's men, Hughes found the experience a rejuvenating one that swayed him to stay on for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

"I was half thinking about calling it a day after the Euros because I didn't know how it was going to go," the former Newcastle and Fulham defender admitted.

"But being involved in it and having played and getting the desire back and playing in those big stadiums, it lit the fire again and I was like, 'I can't retire'. I went back and said, 'We aren't staying in Australia, I have to keep playing'. And then it was a case of seeing what my options were."

Hughes has since joined Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters for their three-month season and has been named captain of his new side.

Despite having had the chance to move back to English football with Sky Bet League One side Oldham, Hughes says the opportunity to play in India with crowds of 60,000 was too tempting for him and says he has been fascinated by other aspects of life on the subcontinent, in particularly the roads.

"If you are walking to school you use it, lorries use it, if you are pulling a cart, you use it, animals use it and the cow up there is worshipped," he added.

"It is a sacred animal so it does what it wants. It could be lying in the middle of the road. No one moves it; you drive around it. There are no rules on the road."