'I'll bring hard-work and energy to the Town midfield', says new signing Pugh

Pugh will help fill the gap left in the squad by the departures of Luke Summerfield and Jack Hunter, and will be competing with Jack Jenkins, Kane Thompson-Sommers and Jack Evans for the central midfield spots.

"Box-to-box, energetic, I like to get stuck in," Pugh said when describing himself as a player.

"I'm hard-working, 100 per cent committed, loud on the pitch, emotional but in a good way.

"If we're losing 1-0, I can get the lads going again.

"It hurts me when I'm losing so I want to go and win, I'm just 100 per cent committed to go and win every game."

Despite only being 23, Pugh says he has an older head on relatively young shoulders.

"I've always been like that," he said, "I've always been energetic, non-stop talking and running around, annoying everyone.

"I think that's why me and Max Wright (who Pugh travels to training with) get on so well!"

Pugh played with Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton as a youngster at Leeds United and was a year above Town team-mate Jenkins in the Leeds academy.

"It's always been in my family, my dad is a coach," he said.

"I started off at Leeds at a young age, six or seven, and left when I was 16.

"I trialled around a few places and ended up at Scunthorpe on a scholarship.

"Then got my pro contract there and made my debut when I was 17.

"I was there from 16 to 23.

"When I was 19 I got the privilege to represent my country against Albania and scored on my debut, for Wales under 21s.

"Then I played close to 80 games for Scunthorpe, had a lot of highs and lows."

Pugh's father Daral is a former Rotherham, Huddersfield and Doncaster winger.

"When I was young, there was constantly a ball in the garden, then when you're at school you're playing," Tom said.

"My dad coached at Leeds, he's at Sheffield Wednesday now.

"He's one of my idols and has been a big rock in my career and my life.

"I have a lot of things to thank him for."

After leaving Leeds, Pugh joined Scunthorpe, then of League One, and stayed there until this summer, playing for The Iron when they won 1-0 at Halifax during the 2022-23 season.

"Last year I think I was the longest serving, which just shows how much change has happened," he said.

"It wasn't nice what was happening. You're close to the fans at a club like that and you could just see it was deteriorating, it wasn't nice for the fans at all.

"But hopefully, fingers crossed, things can change and I wish them all the best.

"I thought I'd have got a bit more game-time to get going again when I was recalled (from loan), but I didn't get that.

"I thought 'new manager, new season', I know Andy Butler likes hard-working lads, I thought he'd want me there but things didn't go how I expected.

"But I look at it as a positive, there's a great group of lads here and I'm looking forward to the season.

"I can see the aspirations of the club."

Like The Shaymen, Pugh suffered play-off heartbreak last season with Scunthorpe, but is targeting at least the same again this time round.

"We need to set individual goals and team goals," he said.

"Obviously we want to set that standard again of trying to get into the play-offs, but we need to start off well.

"We'd love to be back up there again, that's everyone's aim.

"I always set myself a goals target, whether I make it or not!

"I like to set myself an aim so I can beat myself up later down the line!

"I'd like a few assists and try to get as many games as I can."