Hughes had to wait for his chance at Palace after arriving from Watford in the summer, but has since made an impression on the side.
“I settled in straight away, albeit I wasn’t playing at the start of the season,” he explained. “There were a few reasons behind that: I didn’t have a proper pre-season, I got injured and the lads were, first and foremost, doing an unbelievable job on the pitch.
“There was no way I could have argued my case to the manager with how well we were playing. I couldn’t really complain.
“The lads are brilliant, the club is brilliant and the fans are [brilliant], so long may it continue.”
Some of Hughes’ new teammates have caught the eye despite their relatively young age. Having been linked with moves to Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona as a teenager, he understands the pressure that comes with attention.
“Bits and bobs – I’m not going to pester them with advice,” he says of talking to Michael Olise and co. “But if they ever wanted advice or little snippets, I’m more than happy to give it to them.
“You can tell with the way they’re playing this season that they’ve got ability in abundance. They seem to have their feet on the ground, which is the most important thing at this time.
“As long as they keep doing that, then the sky is the limit for them.”
