‘Life can be cruel’ – EFL manager and colleague of Mark Hughes’ son close to tears as he opens up on his sudden death

THE head coach of Grimsby Town revealed his heartbreak following the tragic loss of Alex Hughes, the son of Man Utd legend Mark. David Artell, 45, spoke publicly for the first time following the death of Alex, who worked in player recruitment for the League Two club. Mark Hughes’ son Alex passed away at the age of 38 Credit: Grimsby Town FC David Artell revealed his heartbreak following the tragic loss of his colleague, Alex Credit: X @HumbersideSport The boss pulled back the curtain on the shockwaves that had passed through players and staff in Lincolnshire. Welling up, Artell spoke to BBC Humberside, saying: “He was a lovely guy, top guy. He was good at his job, very humble. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! “In those kind of roles, (people) tend to have a high opinion of themselves, rightly or wrongly. “I’m not saying that for every kind of head of recruitment, but they tend to really back their own judgement. “He was really happy to listen to everyone in the room. “Life can be really cruel. He’s a good guy.” Alex, who died aged 38, was a former football agent and player who joined the Mariners last year. In June, the club called his passing “sudden and unexpected”. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS The boss revealed the shockwaves that had passed through players and staff in Lincolnshire Credit: Shutterstock Editorial But when asked how Artell was coping, he said: “It’s not easy. You have to pull your big boy pants on and get on with it. “You have to understand that whatever I’m feeling, the family’s going through it 1000 times worse. “I still miss him, obviously. It’s just sad. Really sad.” Hundreds turned out for his Prestbury funeral in July, with huge names like Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson and Ryan Giggs arriving to pay their respects. An inquest heard that Alex tragically died from sudden adult death syndrome. The report told how Alex died after collapsing on the floor of his bedroom in his home and was found by his two sons on June 19 at around 7am. The Cheshire Coroner’s Court inquest was told that the condition usually occurs in young men – with four key signs – and there are around 800 cases per year in England. Area coroner Victoria Davies concluded that the death was down to natural causes. Football legend Mark Hughes is grieving the loss of his son Credit: Getty Comment now