Coach Praised Maddy Cusack's Role at Sheffield United
Maddy Cusack was found unconscious at her home in Derbyshire in 2023.
The coach of former Sheffield United footballer Maddy Cusack stated during an inquest that he had offered her a full-time contract at the club and was "really happy" to have her on his team.
Cusack, aged 27, was discovered unconscious by her father David at their family residence in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023 and was pronounced dead the same day.
Jonathan Morgan, who coached Cusack from February 2023 while she was at Sheffield United, continued his testimony at the inquest into Cusack's death held at Chesterfield Coroner's Court on Tuesday.
The inquest revealed that Morgan had appointed Cusack as vice-captain at the club, which he described as a "big sign of respect".
"I wanted her in my senior leadership team, I wanted her opinions.
You would not make someone vice-captain if you felt you did not have a good relationship with them."
Following Cusack's death, the inquest previously heard that her family submitted a written complaint to Sheffield United, highlighting issues allegedly related to her relationship with Morgan.
The inquest also included testimony from Grace Riglar, a teammate and Cusack's partner, who stated that Cusack was "anxious" about Morgan joining the club due to her prior experience working with him at Leicester City.
Cusack's mother, Deborah, described Morgan as her daughter's "nemesis," alleging he made comments about her weight and personal relationships intended to "cut her down to size" and maintain "control."
Beginning his testimony on Monday, the court heard that Morgan had informed the Football Association (FA) that Cusack was "generally a liar," claiming she had "omitted a lot of information" when discussing his behaviour with her family.
Football players and supporters paid tribute to Cusack after her death.
On Tuesday, the inquest heard Morgan expressed anxiety on multiple fronts when he assumed the role of head coach at Sheffield United in February 2023, as the team was struggling and facing relegation.
He stated that if his joining the club had been a "big issue," Cusack would have had the opportunity to disclose it.
Morgan added that they had spoken "a number of times" at football matches since Cusack left Leicester City in 2019.
Regarding a phone call on 5 May 2023, when Morgan offered Cusack a full-time contract at Sheffield United, he said:
"On face value, I couldn't take anything other than she was happy and positive."
However, the inquest revealed that Morgan had expressed concerns in August 2023 that Cusack was "not well," and had requested the club doctor, Dr Subhasis Basu, to speak with her.
When asked whether he had expressed concerns that she was at risk of "self-harm or suicide," Morgan responded that he had not.
The inquest was informed that Dr Basu updated Morgan after speaking with Cusack and had agreed on a plan with her.
Joseph O'Brien KC, representing Sheffield United, questioned Morgan whether he took "comfort" from Dr Basu's involvement, to which Morgan agreed, describing Basu as "very good" and "experienced" in his role.
'A Positive Step Forward'
The inquest heard that on 6 September 2023, Cusack sent a message to Morgan indicating she would not attend training.
Subsequently, after Cusack reached out, they arranged a phone call on 11 September 2023.
During the call, Morgan was informed that Cusack had visited her GP, was prescribed medication, and intended to take time off work.
They also discussed Cusack "potentially" attending a match scheduled for 30 September 2023.
Morgan described the phone call as providing him with "enough reassurance she wanted to get back into football."
When asked if he felt "reassured" by their conversation, Morgan stated:
"I wouldn't use the word reassured, but the information she gave me was a positive step forward, in my opinion."
The inquest noted that "no documentation" was made of this conversation, and Morgan subsequently updated Dr Basu.
Assistant coroner Sophie Cartwright KC questioned Morgan about whether he consulted Human Resources, given it was his "first experience" managing a player off work due to mental health issues.
Morgan responded:
"I escalated to who I thought was the right person at the time."
When asked if he would have raised further concerns with the club doctor had he believed Cusack was at "imminent risk" of self-harm or suicide, Morgan replied:
"Yes."
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- Coach told FA Maddy Cusack was a liar, inquest hears
- Maddy Cusack's coach her 'nemesis', mum tells inquest
- Maddy Cusack 'struggled with girlfriend move'
- Coach called Maddy Cusack a 'psycho', inquest told
- Maddy Cusack feared mental health stigma - inquest
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