A rising star footballer who almost died on the pitch has transformed his life after becoming an apprentice.

Mitchell Hughes, 16, showed promise from a young age but his life was turned upside down last year when he took a header during a game and was left with a traumatic head injury. 

He was rushed to hospital where he had metal plates fitted in his skull, and a doctor warned that he would have died if he had made it to surgery 10 minutes later. 

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Glasgow Times: Mitchell HughesMitchell Hughes (Image: newsquest)

Since the operation, Mitchell has been left with a large scar on his face and suffers from pain, memory loss and struggles with his balance - but he is embracing it. 

He said: “I think sometimes people see a young guy and think the scar is because of something bad, so I am happy to talk to them about what happened.

"I am proud of my scar – it’s a reminder of what I survived!”

While he still manages to enjoy a game, Mitchell's passion to play professionally weaned and his career took a new direction when he discovered his love of plumbing.

After attending a pre-apprenticeship course at Cardonald College, he secured a spot with City Building. 

He said: “I was buzzing to get an apprenticeship at City Building!

"I’m really excited to get started and learn the ins and outs of the trade from the best.”

Glasgow Times: newsquestnewsquest (Image: newsquest)

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City Building is one of the largest apprentice employers in Scotland, and they recently welcomed the latest group to their new, custom-built training college in Springburn.

Their four-year training courses focus on honing skills in traditional craft trade skills and emerging sustainable techniques.

Glasgow Times: City BuildingCity Building (Image: newsquest)

Cllr. Alex Kerr, Chair of City Building (Glasgow) LLP, said: “Congratulations to all our successful candidates joining City Building as apprentices.

"The business has a great track record of developing the next generation and many apprentices are retained after they have acquired their qualifications.

“The construction industry needs fresh talent more than ever.

"The skills our new apprentices learn will be crucial to making our buildings more sustainable and achieving Glasgow’s ambitions of becoming net zero.”