Stoke City's Mark Hughes: British bosses need chances

Stoke manager Mark Hughes feels British managers are being denied the opportunity to win major competitions in England.

Hughes claimed plenty of trophies as a player but is eager to hunt down some silverware from the dugout - something he feels home-grown coaches are not getting enough opportunities to do.

Stoke head into Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final first leg home clash against Liverpool with the former Manchester United and Chelsea forward and Manchester City boss still yet to win a competition during his management career.

And he said: "I remember those emotions, the excitement and pride you get from winning things, and I'd love to be able to do it as a manager.

"I have been close, with a couple of FA Cup semi-finals and a League Cup semi-final at Blackburn.

At Man United, Sir Alex [Ferguson] was there for a long time, Arsene Wenger's still in situ [at Arsenal], Chelsea don't appoint British managers and Man City was an opportunity which unfortunately was taken away from me.

"I got to a League Cup semi-final at City but got sacked before we played it, although that's another story.

"I haven't been able to make that next step and I would love to get some silverware.

"I had a fantastic playing career and that was the norm for me - that was what my expectation was.

"As a manager, it's more difficult. There's a debate around British managers and the opportunities they have.

"If you look over the years, the top jobs in this country haven't really become available. At Man United, Sir Alex [Ferguson] was there for a long time, Arsene Wenger's still in situ [at Arsenal], Chelsea don't appoint British managers and Man City was an opportunity which unfortunately was taken away from me.

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"A lot of foreign managers are able to build their CVs domestically, so when people look, they can see they've won cups and leagues - for British managers, that is a bit more difficult."

The Welshman is also keen for his players to enter Stoke folklore the way their predecessors did when they won the League Cup - the only major trophy in the club's history - in 1971-72, the last season they made the semi-finals.

He said: "This club has a group of ex-players who are rightly lauded because of what they did and we'd love to be another group viewed in the same light."

Watch Stoke v Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg, Tuesday, 7pm, Sky Sports 1 HD