Former Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack told her father she was "dismayed" when coach Jonathan Morgan joined the club months before her September 2023 death, Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard. The 27-year-old feared being stigmatized and ridiculed at the South Yorkshire club, where she had been "loving life" until Jonathan Morgan became her coach again in February 2023.

Cusack had previously worked with Morgan at Leicester, where life was allegedly made "unpleasant" for her. Her father, David Cusack, said she fell on her feet when joining Sheffield United in January 2019, also working part-time for the club's marketing team. However, she became "demotivated" and "deflated" as training hours clashed with her job and her pay decreased.

The inquest heard Cusack was "fretting" about her contract during summer 2023 and became unwell in July. She worried about combining full-time football with her marketing role and feared using mental health as an "excuse" would see her excluded from the team. Her father found her at their family home and attempted CPR before calling an ambulance.

Sheffield United's investigation concluded in December 2023 found no evidence of wrongdoing. The family's written complaint placed Morgan "in the firing line" over issues stemming from their relationship. The inquest continues, examining whether the club provided adequate support for Cusack's mental health struggles.