Inquest into death of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack due to begin
An inquest into the death of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack, who died after alleged issues arising from her relationship with her coach, is due to begin on Monday.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the sudden death of 27-year-old Ms Cusack, who made 110 appearances for the club, at her home address in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20 2023.
Less than a week after she died, Ms Cusack’s family sent a written complaint to Sheffield United outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with the team’s head coach at the time, Jonathan Morgan.
In November of that year, the Maddy Cusack Foundation, which was created in her memory, shared a speech online attributed to Ms Cusack’s mother which said the player’s spirit “was allowed to be broken” by football.
The inquest, which will be heard at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, was previously postponed because of delays in disclosure of information to Ms Cusack’s family.
The club’s investigation, which concluded in December 2023, found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The Football Association (FA) began its own investigation in January 2024, with the governing body saying at the time that its purpose was “to understand whether or not any further action is required under our jurisdiction within football”.
The FA report was shared with the coroner a year later, but it will not be published until the inquest has concluded.
Mr Morgan was sacked by Sheffield United in February 2024 after information came to light about a relationship he had with a player while he was in charge at Leicester City.
His dismissal was not related to the FA investigation.
Ms Cusack’s family issued a statement in September 2024, a year on from her death, in which they said they remain “steadfastly committed and determined to attain justice for Maddy”.
They added that they “seek accountability and that comes with truth”.