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Mark Hughes' son Alex Hughes dies suddenly at 38; what caused his death? Details revealed
Alex Hughes, son of football star Mark Hughes, dies at 38.
Alex Hughes, the son of former Manchester United and Wales football star Mark Hughes, has died at the age of 38 after a sudden collapse at his home in Cheshire. An inquest has confirmed that his cause of death was Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS).
Alex, who worked as Grimsby Town's player recruitment lead, was found collapsed at his home in Macclesfield, Cheshire, on June 19. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, including CPR and emergency medical intervention, he could not be revived.
A hearing at Cheshire Coroners Court heard that a post-mortem examination found no structural abnormalities in his heart, with coroner Victoria Davies ruling his death was caused by SADS and recording it as a natural death.
What is Sudden Adult Death Syndrome?
Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, also known as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), refers to unexpected cardiac death where no obvious structural cause is found after examination.
According to the British Heart Foundation, the condition occurs when a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm leads to cardiac arrest. It is often associated with undiagnosed inherited heart conditions and is estimated to affect around 500 people in the UK each year.
Mark Hughes pays tribute to son Alex
Following Alex's death, Mark Hughes and his family shared an emotional tribute, describing their grief over the unexpected loss. "Jill and I are totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son Alex," the family statement said.
They described Alex as "a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo."
The family also mentioned his career in football, noting that Alex was "player recruitment lead at Grimsby Town FC" and had many close friends and colleagues in the sport.
Alex Hughes' career in football
Alex followed his father's path into football but built his own career away from playing. After brief spells as a player with Stockport County and Wrexham, he moved into football analysis and recruitment.
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He worked as a performance analyst during Mark Hughes' managerial tenures at Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City before taking up recruitment roles at Fulham. In 2025, he joined Grimsby Town's recruitment department.
Grimsby Town manager David Artell paid tribute to Alex, describing him as "just such a good guy" and praising his professionalism. "He was good at his job, very humble," Artell said. “You only get one hit of this goal, in this life, and it's not been easy. It's just sad, really sad.”
