Dad tells inquest Maddy was ‘dismayed’ to hear former coach had been appointed to her new football club

FORMER Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack was “dismayed” that her previous coach was joining her football club months before she died, her father has told an inquest.

- By SOPHIE ROBINSON

Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard that 27-year-old Ms Cusack feared being stigmatised and ridiculed at the club before she was found unresponsive at her home address in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20, 2023.

Her father, David Cusack, said head coach of the women’s team Jonathan Morgan was in the “firing line’ in a written complaint sent by her family to Sheffield United outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with him.

Ms Cusack was “so happy” to leave Leicester City, where she had first worked with Mr Morgan, and was “loving life” until he became her coach again at Sheffield United in February 2023, the inquest heard.

The court was told that life had been made “unpleasant” for Ms Cusack while she played for Leicester.

Mr Cusack said his daughter “never came across a character” like Mr Morgan before, including the “way he dealt with people”.

Her father said she then “fell on her feet” when she joined the South Yorkshire club in January 2019, where she also started working for United's marketing team part time.

“(She 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.”