Michael Hughes played professional football for 23 years. Fifteen of those years included representing his country. Therefore, by the time he retired aged 38, that period accounted for over 60% of the midfielder's life.
When that came to an end, the transition to 'normal' life wasn't an easy one.
"I miss the routine," Hughes reflects in an exclusive feature with Palace TV. "Your days are all kind of planned. You wake up in the morning, you have your routine. I used to have a cup of coffee; I used to take it with me in the car.