The funeral of Mark Hughes’ son was attended by several football figures (Image: Getty)
Heartbroken football legend Mark Hughes carried his son’s coffin into church following his tragic death at the age of 38. Iconic figures from the sport, including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, gathered to pay their respects to Alex Hughes, who died suddenly and unexpectedly last month.
Former United striker Hughes, 62, carried the coffin alongside other family members, including Alex’s brother Curtis and his father-in-law David Pollock, who delivered a deeply moving eulogy, according to the Manchester Evening News. Walking close behind was Alex’s wife, Jess, his childhood sweetheart since the couple met at school 21 years ago, accompanied by their two young children, Sebastian and Leonardo.
During the eulogy, David spoke of how immensely proud Alex was of his boys, who have begun pointing to the skies after scoring goals.
He told them: “He’s so proud of your determination, he’s so proud of your passion. He will always be watching you in spirit, watching you score goals, watching you make tackles with every game.
“And when you look up and do your celebrations, which I know you’ve been doing already, he’ll be watching over you, high in the sky.”
Hundreds of mourners filled St Peter’s Church in Prestbury, Cheshire, including Mike Phelan, Martin Edwards, Bryan Robson and Ryan Giggs.
Grimsby Town manager David Artell led a contingent from the Mariners, where Alex had been serving as player recruitment lead prior to his death.
Other footballing attendees included former Arsenal striker Martin Keown and ex-Stoke City forward Jon Walters.
Sir Alex Ferguson was among the mourners at the funeral of Alex Hughes (Image: Getty)
Earlier in the service, Alex’s brother Curtis, wearing sunglasses as he struggled to hold back his tears, delivered a heartfelt tribute to his sibling, recounting how they had each served as best man at one another’s weddings.
He said: “Being best man wasn’t something Alex did for a day; it was who he was. Some people fill a room with noise, Alex filled it with warmth, loyalty and kindness.
“To Xenna [Alex and Curtis’s sister] and me, he was our annoying older brother. People often look for signs when they lose someone, something to tell them they’re still around.
“I was lucky enough to have mine. Just two days after we said goodbye to Alex, I was trying to distract myself with work when a bee decided to fly straight into me. In that moment, I just knew it was Alex doing his best to annoy me just another time.”
Alex had brief stints as a footballer with Stockport and Wrexham, before forging a career within the sport, starting alongside his father at Blackburn as a performance analyst in 2007.