Mark Hughes heartbroken after sudden death of son Alex, 38

Mark Hughes led the family’s appeal for privacy after the sudden death of his son Alex, describing himself and his wife Jill as “totally heartbroken” by the loss. The former Wales manager said the family was facing an “unexpected loss” and asked that its grief be respected as it comes to terms with Alex’s death at 38.

Alex Hughes had built a career in football away from the spotlight, serving as Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town FC at the time of his death. He had joined Grimsby in 2025 after a long spell in recruitment, analysis and football operations, work that took him through Manchester City, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers and 1860 Munich. He also spent three years in Portugal as academy manager at VSI Rio Maior, and later held senior roles as director of football at Fylde and head of scouting at Morecambe.

Before moving into the backroom side of the game, Alex Hughes had a brief playing career with Stockport County and Wrexham. He also worked as a performance analyst at Blackburn and held recruitment and analysis positions at Manchester City and Fulham, becoming a FIFA-registered agent along the way. At Grimsby, he was regarded as a senior figure in the club’s player-recruitment department.

In the statement released through the League Managers Association, Mark Hughes 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.” The association said it sent its deepest condolences to Alex’s family and friends. The wording reflected the scale of the loss for a family long known in football, while drawing a firm boundary around a private tragedy unfolding in public view.

Mark Hughes, 62, won two Premier League titles with Manchester United before managing Wales from 1999 to 2004. He later coached Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Manchester City, Fulham and, most recently, Carlisle United, leaving that post in May 2026 after the club missed out on promotion to the English Football League.