WELSH dragon Mark Hughes has been urged by Andy Cole to postpone any retirement plans and carry on playing for Blackburn.

Cole felt Hughes was outstanding as an emergency central midfielder for Blackburn in their 2-1 Worthington Cup Final triumph over Tottenham.

The 38-year-old played only his third full match of the season because of suspensions to Garry Flitcroft and Tugay - and Cole thought he ran the show.

Hughes is considering hanging up his boots at the end of the season to concentrate on managing Wales, but Cole feels he should delay those thoughts for at least a year.

"I think he could carry on," he said. "Playing the way he played I can't see why he can't play on for another year.

"He was fantastic. He's 38 years old and he ran around like he was 24.

"I thought he was brilliant and he rattled Darren Anderton early on and put him off his game.

"For me he bossed the game. He was a star man in midfield.

"I've seen him play there before when he was at Chelsea and I was at Manchester United when we played them in the FA Cup.

"He can play there and he played very well."

Hughes joked that he felt like he could play on forever after winning yet another cup final, but refused to be drawn on his plans.

"I don't know and we will leave it," he said. "But on days like that the final I want to play forever, but I know that's not possible."

Hughes admitted he never thought he would win another cup final so late in his career.

In doing so, he has set yet another cup final record. His four FA Cup Final wins were already a modern record, while he has now become the first player to win the League Cup with three different clubs.

He lifted the cup with Manchester United in 1992, Chelsea in 1998 and now Blackburn in 2002.

Incredibly this was his 10th domestic cup final and he has managed to win seven of them.

Hughes was still trying to take in the victory in the Millennium Stadium - where he had managed Wales on several occasions, but never played before.

"No, I didn't really expect this," he said. "You start each season hoping you're going to be involved in a cup final, a league title or whatever.

"Sometimes those aims are realistic and sometimes they're not.

"I had hoped to be involved in something like that this year and I have.

"We were missing players through suspension and that was unfortunate for them, but fortunate for me.

"I got my opportunity. I was asked to do a certain job and hopefully I did OK.

"I felt all right at the end of the game. I've not played 90 minutes very often this season. I think I've only played three or four games.

"Going into the game I wondered if I could last, but I felt OK out there.

"I think when you're my age, you surround yourself with young legs and that's what we've got in our side and they helped me out."

Hughes' day was made all the more special when manager Graeme Souness pulled him to the front of the queue to collect his winner's medal.

"I didn't particularly want to go, but he's quite a forceful man and you don't disagree with him," he said.

Hughes may find Souness just as resolute if he tries to retire in the summer.

Mark Hughes' 10 domestic cup finals:

1985 FA Cup Final with Manchester United, beat Everton 1-0.

1990 FA Cup Final with Manchester United, beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in replay after 3-3 draw in first match.

1991 Rumbelows League Cup Final with Manchester United, lost 1-0 to Sheffield Wednesday.

1992 Rumbelows League Cup Final with Manchester United, beat Nottingham Forest 1-0.

1994 Coca-Cola Cup Final with Manchester United, lost 3-1 to Aston Villa.

1994 FA Cup Final with Manchester United, beat Chelsea 4-0.

1995 FA Cup Final with Manchester United, lost 1-0 to Everton.

1997 FA Cup Final with Chelsea, beat Middlesbrough 2-0.

1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final with Chelsea, beat Middlesbrough 2-0.

2002 Worthington Cup Final with Blackburn, beat Tottenham 2-1.