Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack 'dismayed' before death when former coach joined her club

Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack was "dismayed" when her previous coach joined her football club months before she died, an inquest has heard.

Cusack, 27, had just started her sixth season with the Blades in the Women's Championship when she was found unresponsive at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, in September 2023.

Her father, David Cusack, said the women's side's head coach Jonathan Morgan was in the "firing line", in a written complaint sent by Ms Cusack's family to Sheffield United.

Mr Cusack said his daughter was "so happy" to leave Leicester City - where she had first worked with Mr Morgan - in 2019 and was "loving life" until he became her coach again in February 2023.

Chesterfield Coroner's Court was told that life had been made "unpleasant" for the midfielder while she played for Leicester.

Mr Cusack said: "[Maddy was] dismayed by the possibility of him coming back into her life.

"I'm going to say 'look, it may have changed. It's a fresh start for both of you'. I tried to be positive."

Mr Morgan, who is representing himself in the inquest, asked Mr Cusack if he was aware his daughter left Leicester City because she sustained a hamstring injury that limited her playing time.

Mr Cusack said he thought his daughter had not played matches at Leicester because of a "clash of personalities".

Family 'thought Cusack was depressed, not suicidal'

He added that while signing a full-time football contract at Sheffield in 2023 was "the one thing [Maddy] wanted", it was also the "worst thing that could have happened".

Mr Cusack told the inquest that his daughter was "anxious [and] worried" about combining her marketing job with playing full-time.

Asked about a comment by Ms Cusack that she had "no future", her father said: "We thought she was depressed, not suicidal."

The inquest heard that Sheffield United did not offer any psychotherapy or other support to Ms Cusack amid her mental health issues. She was given a sick note for time off work by a doctor.

Her father said Ms Cusack, who was prescribed anti-anxiety medication, felt that if she used her mental health as an "excuse" she "would be out" of the team, and feared being stigmatised and ridiculed.

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Mr Cusack told the inquest that after his daughter's death, he decided to "write down what her problems were, what she told us her problems were, and make a complaint".

"The man in the firing line was Mr Morgan," he said. "I wanted to air the grievances we had. This is no mystery, it's all there."

Sheffield United's own investigation, which concluded in December 2023, found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The inquest continues.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.

(c) Sky News 2026: Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack 'dismayed' before death when former coach joined her club