Former Man United legend's son dies of sudden adult death syndrome at 38

Former Manchester United forward Mark Hughes suffered the worst loss imaginable when his 38-year-old son Alex passed away from a sudden adult death syndrome on June 19 this year.

Though his playing career was short, Alex was a well-respected member of the English football community. He worked in recruitment at Grimsby Town, Manchester City, and other clubs throughout his career.

Following their son's death, Mark Hughes and his wife Jill said that they are "totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son."

Mark Hughes also released a statement through the League Managers Association. It reads, "Alex was a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo."

Mark Hughes played for some of the world's biggest clubs including Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. He made 72 appearances for the Welsh national team from 1984-1999 and became an accomplished manager coaching nine teams, mostly in the English Premier League.

Alex Hughes cause of death

Alex Hughes died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS). SADS is often the diagnosis given in a post-mortem examination when the structure of the heart seems normal and the cause of death cannot be properly explained.

The British Heart Foundation claims that SADS "usually happens when a dangerously abnormal heart rhythm goes untreated and leads to a cardiac arrest."

It often goes untreated and unnoticed until it's too late. SADS allegedly affects around 500 people in the United Kingdom every year.

Alex Hughes' playing career

Alex Hughes had a brief professional soccer career, playing for Stockport and Wrexham before joining Blackburn as a performance analyst in 2007. His father was the team's manager at the time. Alex followed his father to Manchester City in 2008 as well.

Hughes joined Grimsby in 2025 in the recruitment department and was well-received by the staff. Following his death, Grimsby head coach David Artell, saddened by his co-worker's passing, called Alex "such a good guy."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Former Man United legend's son dies of sudden adult death syndrome at 38