Several football people attended Mark Hughes’ son’s funeral. (Image: Getty)
Heartbroken football legend Mark Hughes tragically died at the age of 38, and his son’s coffin was carried into the church. Iconic figures from the world of sport, including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, gathered to pay their respects to Alex Hughes, who passed away suddenly last month.
Former United striker Hughes, 62, carried the pall with other family members, including Alex’s brother Curtis and father-in-law David Pollock, who gave emotional eulogies, according to the Manchester Evening News. Walking right behind Alex was his wife Jess, his childhood sweetheart since they met at school 21 years ago, and their two young children, Sebastian and Leonardo.
In his eulogy, David spoke of how proud Alex was of his sons, who started pointing to the sky after scoring a goal.
He told them, “He’s so proud of your determination and your passion. He’ll always be looking out for you, watching you score goals, making tackles every game.”
“And when you look up and celebrate, which I’m sure you’ve already done, he’ll be high up in the air watching you.”
Hundreds of mourners packed St Peter’s Church in Prestbury, Cheshire, to pay their respects, including Mike Phelan, Martin Edwards, Brian Robson and Ryan Giggs.
Grimsby Town manager David Artell led the contingent from the Mariners, where Alex was head of player recruitment before his death.
Other football officials in attendance included former Arsenal striker Martin Keown and former Stoke City forward John Walters.
Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the mourners at Alex Hughes’ funeral. (Image: Getty)
At the beginning of the service, Alex’s brother Curtis, wearing sunglasses and struggling to hold back tears, paid his heartfelt condolences to his brother and talked about how they served as each other’s groomsmen at their weddings.
He said, “Being Alex the best man wasn’t about what he did that day, it was about who he was. Some people fill a room with noise, but Alex filled a room with warmth, loyalty and kindness.”
“For Xena (Alex and Curtis’ sister) and me, he was an annoying older brother. When you lose someone, you look for some kind of sign that lets you know they’re still alive.
“I was lucky enough to get mine. Just two days after saying goodbye to Alex, while I was trying to distract myself at work, a bee flew straight at me. At that moment, I knew that Alex was doing his best to embarrass me again.”
Alex had brief spells as a footballer at Stockport and Wrexham before forging a career in the sport, before starting work as a performance analyst alongside his father at Blackburn in 2007.
