Hughton joined Tottenham Hotspur's academy in 2005, and went on to make 15 youth team appearances that season. Established, he played a further 27 games the following season, scoring once and stepping into the reserve set-up, where he appeared on a total of 21 occasions over two seasons.
On 27 July 2009, Hughton signed a six-month contract with Football League Two club Lincoln City.[1] He made his first-team debut in the 1–0 victory over Barnet on 8 August.[2]
He was given a new 18-month contract following the conclusion of his initial deal,[3] but found first team opportunities hard to come by after Chris Sutton left the club and Steve Tilson took over.[citation needed] In May 2011 he was not offered a new contract after a mass clear out of players following the club's relegation from the Football League.[4]
In June 2011 he joined Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS for a ten-day trial but failed to earn a contract.[5] He also had trials at lower-league clubs including Bristol Rovers, where he appeared in a 5–1 pre-season win over local side Mangotsfield United,[6] and Milton Keynes Dons, where he scored in a 6–0 friendly victory against Buckingham Town.[7] During the summer off-season of 2011, Hughton travelled to Ireland and agreed a deal with Dundalk, only to be told that budget cuts at the club meant the deal could no longer materialise.[8]
Having spent several months training with Birmingham City, where his father became manager in June 2011, on 29 February 2012 Hughton signed for the club until the end of the season.[9] He was an unused substitute for the visit to Brighton & Hove Albion, but made no first-team appearances, and was released when his contract expired.[10]
