Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Alex Hughes, son of former Manchester United manager Mark Hughes, in Prestbury. Alex Hughes died suddenly on June 19 at the age of 38.
Among those in attendance were former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, as well as Mike Phelan, Martin Edwards, Bryan Robson, and Ryan Giggs. Mark Hughes carried his son's coffin into St Peter's Church, accompanied by family members including Alex's brother Curtis and father-in-law David Pollock. Alex's widow, Jess, walked behind the coffin with their children, Sebastian and Leonardo.
David Pollock delivered an emotional eulogy, recounting how Alex's children would point to the sky after scoring goals in his honor. A joint tribute from Mark and his wife Jill was read by Pollock at the end of the service.
"Alex, thank you for giving us the privilege of being your mum and dad," read the tribute from Mark and Jill Hughes. "Thank you for every smile, every laugh, every hug, every precious memory. You were, and always will be, our perfect son. We love you beyond words. We always have and we always will. Mum and Dad."
Representatives from Manchester United were present, as was Grimsby Town manager David Artell, who led a delegation from the League Two club. Alex Hughes had been working as the player recruitment lead at Grimsby Town at the time of his death.
The League Managers Association (LMA) had announced Alex's death on behalf of the family. The statement described him as a "wonderful son, brother, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo." The family requested privacy during their time of grief.
Following a brief playing career in Wales, Alex Hughes held several off-pitch roles. He was a licensed agent and worked with his father as an analyst at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, and Fulham. In 2024, he became director of football at AFC Fylde.
Mark Hughes had a distinguished playing career, making 345 appearances for Manchester United and also playing for Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea. He later managed Wales for five years and had spells at Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, and Stoke City. Most recently, he left Carlisle United last month after their defeat in the National League play-off semi-finals.