Maddy Cusack’s former Sheffield United coach told an inquest he had offered her a full-time contract and was “really happy” to have her in his squad.
On 20 September 2023, the 27-year-old was found unconscious by her father, David, at the family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, and was
pronounced dead the same day.
Jonathan Morgan, who coached her from February 2023 at Sheffield United, continued his evidence at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court on Tuesday during the inquest into her death.
The inquest heard Morgan had named Cusack his vice-captain, which he described as a “big sign of respect”.
He said he wanted her in his senior leadership group and valued her opinions.
He added that he would not have appointed someone vice-captain without a good working relationship.
The inquest previously heard that, within a week of Cusack’s death, her family sent a written complaint to Sheffield United outlining concerns allegedly arising from her relationship with Morgan.
Grace Riglar, a teammate who was in a relationship with Cusack, told the inquest that Cusack felt
“anxious” about Morgan joining the club
after her 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 relationship to “cut her down to size” and be “in control”.
Beginning his evidence on Monday, the court heard that Morgan had told the Football Association (FA) that Cusack was
“generally a liar”, saying she had “omitted a lot of information” when speaking to her family about his behaviour.