Mark Hughes: Manchester United’s Legend Loses Son At 38

Former Manchester United and Wales striker, Mark Hughes, has announced the sudden death of his son, Alex Hughes, at the age of 38.

Alex, who was serving as Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town, passed away unexpectedly. In a statement issued through the League Managers Association, Hughes and his wife, Jill, expressed their grief over the loss of their son.

They said: “Jill and I are totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son Alex.

“Alex was a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo.

“Alex was Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town FC, and had many good friends and colleagues. He will be so deeply missed by us all.”

Alex built a respected career in football recruitment and analysis after beginning his journey as a player. He featured for Stockport County and Wrexham reserves before moving into the technical side of the game.

His professional career in recruitment started at Blackburn Rovers in 2007, where he worked as the club’s sole performance analyst. He later held roles at Manchester City and Fulham before relocating to Portugal, where he worked within a private academy system between 2011 and 2014.

Alex subsequently became a player agent and later returned to club football, working with AFC Fylde and Morecambe before joining Grimsby Town in July 2025.

Mark Hughes, 62, enjoyed a distinguished playing career that included spells with Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and Blackburn Rovers. He won several major honours, including the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

The former Wales international earned 72 caps for his country, scoring 16 goals. He later moved into management, taking charge of Wales, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City and Southampton, with his most recent role coming at Carlisle United.