Sheffield United women’s midfielder Maddy Cusack died on September 20, 2023, after being found unconscious at her family home in Horsley, Derbyshire. An inquest revealed that former coach Jonathan Morgan repeatedly called her a psycho, mocked her weight and interrogated her personal relationship, creating a hostile environment that reportedly contributed to her distress and raised concerns among teammates about her mental health.

Teammate Grace Riglar testified that Cusack grew anxious when Morgan joined United in February 2023, recalling earlier incidents at Leicester where similar insults were aired from the sidelines. Riglar said Cusack’s once‑steady place in the starting XI turned sporadic, a shift she perceived as a personal attack, intensifying her anxiety and prompting drastic changes to her diet and training, among teammates in training daily.

The coroner heard Cusack had a doctor’s sick note covering football and her marketing job, and was prescribed anti‑anxiety medication. She confided to her girlfriend a desire to quit football, move to Dubai and become a flight attendant, yet felt trapped with no clear exit. She also struggled to find professional support within the club hierarchy during that period.