He was a very talented kid who perhaps thought he had made it too soon, and suffered the pitfalls of same.
He was not the first nor will he be the last. Bentley for instance a very obvious one. We have a new shiny star almost every summer, a Jeff or a Zelalem, young kids that adults who frankly should know better get excited about. Most fall by the wayside.
I recall reading a story about Hughes when he went to Fulham, perhaps on loan, and was horrified to find that his training gear was not duly collected on day 1 and washed/laundered/returned in pristine condition for day 2. Now I expect journalistic licence played a part here as no footballer at that level washes their own gear but it was used to illustrate the gaping difference between the pampered surroundings of AFC and lesser clubs.
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."