A coroner has confirmed that Alex Hughes, the 38-year-old son of former Manchester United and Wales footballer Mark Hughes, died of sudden adult death syndrome (SADS). He was found collapsed at his home in Macclesfield, Cheshire, on 19 June by his two sons and could not be revived by paramedics, his inquest heard.

SADS, also known as sudden arrhythmic syndrome, is diagnosed when a post-mortem cannot identify a cause of death because the heart appears structurally normal, and it affects around 500 people in the UK each year; the British Heart Foundation says it usually results from an untreated abnormal heart rhythm, often linked to an undiagnosed inherited heart condition. Alex Hughes had a brief playing career at Stockport and Wrexham before moving into recruitment and analysis roles alongside his father at Blackburn, Manchester City and Fulham, later joining Grimsby Town as player recruitment lead in 2025. Mark Hughes and his wife Jill described themselves as "totally heartbroken", while Grimsby head coach David Artell paid tribute to him as "just such a good guy".