Grimsby Town head coach David Artell has spoken for the first time about the sudden death of Alex Hughes, the club's player recruitment lead and son of Manchester United great Mark Hughes, who died in June at the age of 38.
Speaking to BBC Humberside, Artell appeared close to tears as he paid tribute to his late colleague, whose shock passing left a huge void among players and staff at the League Two club in Lincolnshire.
"He was a lovely guy, top guy. He was good at his job, very humble," Artell said. "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."
Asked how he was feeling and about the impact of his grief in recent weeks, Artell admitted it had not been easy. "You have to pull your big boy pants on and get on with it," he said. "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."
Funeral drew Manchester United figures
Sir Alex Ferguson was among hundreds of mourners who attended Hughes' funeral in Prestbury last month, alongside other former Manchester United figures including Mike Phelan, Martin Edwards, Bryan Robson and Ryan Giggs.
The League Managers Association announced Alex's death in June, releasing a statement on behalf of Mark Hughes, the former Manchester City and Wales manager.
"Jill and I are totally heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected loss of our beloved son Alex. Alex was a wonderful son, brother to Curtis and Xenna, devoted husband and father to Jessica and their two beautiful children Sebastian and Leonardo. Alex was Player Recruitment Lead at Grimsby Town FC, and had many good friends and colleagues. He will be so deeply missed by us all. We ask for privacy during this sad time as we come to terms with our family's loss. The Hughes family."
Career before Grimsby Town
After a brief playing career in Wales, Hughes became a licensed agent and went on to work with his father as an analyst at clubs he managed, including Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Fulham.
Hughes later served as director of football at AFC Fylde before joining Grimsby Town.
