Maddy Cusack would still be alive without coach, mother says

Maddy Cusack’s mother told the inquest that Jonathan Morgan was her daughter’s “nemesis” and said Cusack would still be alive if the women’s team coach had not been employed. The hearing is now weighing whether Sheffield United’s response to welfare concerns around the 27-year-old player met the standard expected of an elite club.

Cusack was found unconscious at her family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20, 2023, and died the same day. She had played for Sheffield United since 2019 and became the first player to make 100 appearances for Sheffield United Women, a milestone that made her one of the club’s most visible figures before her death.

The inquest has heard allegations that Morgan made comments about Cusack’s weight and relationship, and called her a “psycho”, language that her family said left her uncomfortable. Her family has previously said she faced pressures before her death, and that account has placed the club’s duty of care, complaint handling and mental-health support under scrutiny.

Sheffield United later agreed to a full external inquiry into the events leading up to Cusack’s death, her family said. That inquiry, together with the inquest’s focus on what happened inside the women’s team, has raised questions about how quickly concerns were escalated and what safeguards were in place for players working under intense scrutiny.

The inquest into the circumstances of Cusack’s death was adjourned while the Football Association reached its conclusions. For Cusack’s family, the case is also about what her record at Sheffield United Women represented: a player who reached 100 appearances, became a milestone figure for the club, and left behind a legacy they want to turn into a voice for girls.