By Karl Wilkinson
December 3 2003

Sir Bobby Robson last night paid tribute to dependable defender Aaron Hughes despite growing speculation that Newcastle are set to sign an additional right-back in January. Sir Bobby Robson last night paid tribute to dependable defender Aaron Hughes despite growing speculation that Newcastle are set to sign an additional right-back in January.

United's Northern Ireland international has started 12 of his side's last 14 matches but still appears to be one of the players most under pressure with the transfer window due to reopen in the New Year.

Robson has admitted he is keen to strengthen his squad with Tottenham's Stephen Carr and Greek international Giorgios Seitaridis two of the right-backs known to have interested the Magpies' manager.

However, Hughes has survived a shaky start to his season to re-emerge as one of Newcastle's most consistent performers and the Ulsterman looks certain to start Saturday's lunchtime clash with Liverpool.

"I thought Aaron was the man of the match for us at Wolves at the weekend," explained Robson. "He defends well, covers well, jumps and heads ball all day long.

"He tries to get forward and he was our best player at Molineux. The piece of skill he produced to set up Alan Shearer for the shot which struck the bar was superb and that's one aspect of his game which is very much underrated."

Hughes has so far managed to ward off the threat posed to his first team place by friend and colleague Andy Griffin but the latter has just been offered a new deal by Newcastle. And the former Stoke City defender, now fully recovered from injury, has been told the fight for United's right-back berth remains wide open.

Whether either Hughes or Griffin win that race very much depends on Robson's success in persuading chairman Freddie Shepherd to part with transfer funds after Christmas.

Neither Carr nor Seitaridis will come cheap and the latter's Greek club, Panathinaikos, have already rebuffed a bid of £2.3m plus Marcelo Gallardo from ambitious French outfit Monaco.

Carr is, of course, a known quantity in terms of his ability to perform against Premiership opposition and the Irish international boasts considerable experience of the English game.