36 years ago today, Mark Hughes played two games in two countries in SAME day

36 years ago today, Mark Hughes made history in an incredible way when he played two games in two different countries in the same day.

The first ever winter World Cup takes place in just nine days time and is bringing about some serious disruption to the club football calendar.

For instance, the next round of the Carabao Cup will take place just days after the World Cup calendar and there could be a scenario where Manchester City and Liverpool, who have been paired against one another, are without many of their big guns.

That is unless they try and produce something close to what Hughes did all the way back in 1987.

First up for the former Manchester United man was a European Championship qualifier with Wales, who were playing against Czechoslovakia in Prague.

They needed to win to qualify for the Euros in 1988 but lost 2-0, with Ivo Knoflicek and Michal Bilek both on the scoresheet.

Hughes played the full 90 minutes and then immediately after the final whistle, he was whisked into a Lada car in his kit and driven to a plane. There was no time for a warm-down or shower.

Uli Hoeness, the president of Bayern Munich, who Hughes had joined on loan from Barcelona, was with him for the journey after making the arrangements needed to give the striker a second appearance for the Bavarians.

Image: Alamy

Hughes got changed into his Bayern strip on the flight ahead of a German Cup second-round replay against Borussia Monchengladbach in the evening.

Hoeness, who had done everything in his power to ensure Hughes could pull double duty, then drove the two of them to the Olympiastadion in his green Porsche.

They arrived for half-time and Hughes entered the fray on the hour mark with Bayern losing 1-0. Lothar Matthaus bagged the equaliser before Michael Rummenigge, younger brother of Karl-Heinz scored two goals in an extra time victory.

Image: Alamy

Recalling the remarkable table to the UTD podcast, Hughes said: "We got there at half-time. I must have already been on the team sheet.

"There was a German player called Armin Eck who looked similar to me - he had the old mullet. He was on the bench as well and I think the fans thought I was him.

"It was a full house at the Olympic Stadium. We were losing the game 1-0, and I came on after 60 minutes. We won the game and I was a big hero!

"The reality was I didn't get a kick and I was knackered. I was thinking, 'What the hell am I doing?'

"I was running around, missing balls and falling over. I came on with Michael Rummenigge and he scored two goals to get us the win.

"He didn't get a mention. It was all about me playing two games in one day which was a bit harsh on him.

"Uli just thought like that. He's a real football guy and he could see the possibility of it."

Hoeness had done similar a couple of years earlier by making sure Soren Lerby played for Denmark against the Republic of Ireland before representing Bayern later on.