Maddy Cusack would still be alive without Jonathan Morgan at Sheffield United, inquest hears

Maddy Cusack would still be alive had coach Jonathan Morgan never been employed by Sheffield United, the 27-year-old’s mother told Chesterfield Coroner’s Court on Thursday. Deborah Cusack gave evidence at the inquest into her daughter’s death, after Ms Cusack was found unresponsive at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023.

Addressing Mr Morgan directly — he is representing himself at the inquest — Mrs Cusack said: “You need to understand I’m not blaming you for what she did but you made her feel how she felt. It’s the little knocks every now and again. You had to come in and cut her down to size. There’s a direct line — if you hadn’t been employed, Maddy would be here today.”

The court heard that Mrs Cusack described Morgan as her daughter’s “nemesis”, and that teammates referred to him in messages as a “prison warden” — saying they felt they were “in prison” when sidelined, “on parole” when playing. Mrs Cusack said those players eventually left the club, but Maddy, who also worked in Sheffield United’s marketing department, could not. “She was literally on her own,” her mother said. “I thought she felt lonely from that and isolated. By this time, she had no confidence in anything.”

Ms Cusack had previously played under Morgan at Leicester City, an experience her mother described as “dreadful”. When Morgan was appointed at Sheffield United, Mrs Cusack said her daughter was “absolutely devastated”, fearing that “history was repeating itself”.

The inquest also heard that Morgan called Ms Cusack “bottom heavy” after joining the club, which the family said prompted her to change her eating habits and run after training sessions in an effort to “get fitter and thinner”. Mrs Cusack told the court that the remark “undermined Madeleine and knocked her confidence and all that she knew because you were questioning the state of her fitness”.

Ms Cusack’s family submitted a written complaint to Sheffield United following her death, outlining concerns about her relationship with Morgan. The inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court is ongoing.