The Yorkshire club will kick-off the new season on a level playing field after beginning the last campaign on minus 15 points and will start as one of League One's big promotion favourites.

Hughes, who relished last season's challenge after signing from Norwich in August, said: "There weren't that many players last summer that actually wanted to come to Leeds.

"They didn't fancy the big points deduction, but now everyone wants to come. I've spoken to loads of players and other people in the game and it's a different story this time around.

"There's no debt, the fans are right behind the players and the manager. It's one of the best clubs to play for, no doubt about that."

Hughes, 30, started and ran blindfolded in the Vision 5K in Leeds on Saturday in aid of Sense, the national deafblind charity.