Stories of overcoming the odds aren’t unusual in the world of football, but the story of how Niall Huggins got to the Wales squad after years of adversity is really something.
Looking at his stats alone are enough to widen the eyes. At the age of 22, Huggins has played a grand total of 17 games in his club career.
When you delve into the details as to why he’s played so little compared to the likes of seasoned veterans like Ethan Ampadu, you realise just how much the full-back has gone through to get into this position.
“The last two years have been horrendous,” said Huggins.
It was awful, to be honest. When I first joined Sunderland, I suffered an initial stress fracture in my back.
“That put me out for four or five months. When I was doing my rehab, I had the same sort of issue but in different places.
“It was something we struggled to get to the bottom of. There was never a reason for why it was happening.
“Luckily, we ended up finding something I could take which helped strengthen my bones and since then I’ve not had that issue.
“The second season was more about finding a run of games. My body struggled to get to the impact of matches and so I was suffering smaller, muscular injuries.
“I had problems with the backs of my knees. It was only at the end of last season – in the run the play-offs – that I managed to get fit.”
Suffering setbacks after set back are enough to give doubts to any player about their future.
Huggins is not alone in this, but now in the form of his life, he’s grateful that he kept going through the dark times.
He added: “It got to the point where every time I was doing the rehab, the first few steps back on the grass, it was always there in the back of my mind; is this going to happen again?
“The time flies by and you do start to worry.
“When you are injured and not playing, you are not showing what you can do. The years are going by on the contract and you are worrying about it.
“When I did finally start to get fit, it helped so much mentally. It is still hard to look back, to be honest. You feel as though you wasted a lot of time.
“Now, though, I feel really good.
“I am probably playing the best football I have ever played. It’s good to be where I am now.”
It’s good to be where I am now.”
But it isn’t solely injuries that caused problems for Huggins, it’s also leaving his boyhood club.
The versatile defender came through the ranks at Leeds United, and even played a Premier League game for them under Marcelo Bielsa.
However, after feeling like he was making progress at Elland Road, he was told his services were no longer needed.
“I thought I was doing really well,” admitted the youngster. I made my debut in the December, which was the best day of my life – playing for my boyhood club.
“I did well, and I was on the bench quite a lot until the end of the season.
“But you never know in football. The manager at the time [Bielsa] liked me, but then I had a call telling me I probably wasn’t going to be involved the next season and I never really got an exact answer why.
“It was a bit frustrating.”
Having been turfed out, Huggins has now found a new home in the Northeast with Sunderland, and it’s fair to say he’s found a new lease of life with the Black Cats.
“When I found out there was interest from Sunderland, I put it to bed.
“It was the best thing to do because I knew that Sunderland was a great opportunity.
“I signed for four years – and thank God I did after all those injuries!”
Having played 16 times so far in the Championship, Huggins’ form has attracted the attention of Wales and a deserving call-up. Even the story of how Huggins qualifies for Wales is a spectacular one.
“My dad was born in Bangor,” he added. He lived there for the first two years of his life. His mum and dad are actually not Welsh, either.
“But you have to take what you can get!
“My dad ended up moving to Manchester after that, but it’s obviously done big things for me.
“His dad moved back to Bangor later on in life and lived there for a while and we used to visit him now and again, but not often.”
It certainly feels as if Huggins is at the beginning of a career, rather than in the development stage compared to other players in the Wales set up.
His story is one of hope and optimism for any player going through tough times, and he’s looking forward to a fresh start.
“The last two seasons have been a nightmare, only started about 17 professional games and I’m 22.
“It literally feels like I’m starting my professional career. I’ve always been confident but in the last two years I’ve struggled to show that.
“This is the first year where I can really show what I can do and what level I can play at.
“To have the call-up to the senior team shows that even more.”
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