Mark Hughes Announces the Tragic Passing of His Son Alex Hughes
Former Manchester United and Wales striker Mark Hughes has shared the devastating news that his son, Alex Hughes, died suddenly at the age of 38.
Alex, who served as Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town Football Club, passed away unexpectedly. In a statement released through the League Managers Association, Hughes and his wife Jill expressed their profound grief.
“Jill and I are totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son Alex,” they said. “Alex was a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children, Sebastian and Leonardo.”
Before his recruitment role, Alex began his football journey as a player, appearing for Stockport County and Wrexham reserves. He transitioned to the technical side of the game, starting his professional career in 2007 as Blackburn Rovers’ sole performance analyst.
He later worked at Manchester City and Fulham, spent time in Portugal with a private academy system from 2011 to 2014, and then became a player agent. His club‑football experience included spells with AFC Fylde and Morecambe before he joined Grimsby Town in July 2025.
Mark Hughes, now 62, enjoyed a distinguished playing career with clubs such as Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and Blackburn Rovers, winning major honours including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He earned 72 caps for Wales, scoring 16 goals, and later managed Wales, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City, Southampton and most recently Carlisle United.
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