Cusack's Sheff Utd coach called her a 'psycho', inquest hears

Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack passed away on Wednesday September 20 2023; warning: contains content of a distressing nature. If you are affected by this story, please visit sky.com/viewersupport

>Former Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack's coach had called her a "psycho" and was playing mind games with her before her death, an inquest has heard.

>Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard that Jonathan Morgan also made comments about Cusack's weight and relationship while he was the manager of United's women's team, which made her feel uncomfortable.

>The 27-year-old was found unconscious by her father at their family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20 2023, and she died the same day.

>Fellow professional Grace Riglar, who played for United at the same time as Cusack and was in a relationship with her, said the player was "anxious" about Morgan joining the club in February 2023 after her experience of working with him at Leicester years earlier.

>She told the inquest on Tuesday: "I think it was stuff she told me about her previous experience prior to Jonathan coming to Sheffield.

>"I think she said that they played a game against a team while Jonathan was the manager. She had done something on the pitch and Jonathan called her a psycho from the sideline.

>"I don't think she let anyone know those types of comments affected her but they did and they made her uncomfortable."

>She said Morgan joining United was a big cause of Cusack's stress, which coincided with her being unhappy there.

>Riglar added that Cusack thought the coach made a "personal attack" on her by not putting her in the starting line-up for matches.

>She told the court: "She was used to starting every game, she was an important member of the team. When Jonathan came, she was in and out from the starting team a bit.

>"Her going from starting to being on the bench quite a lot, she saw that as a setback. That impacted her a lot.

>"I just think she almost felt like it was a bit of a personal attack and that Jonathan was playing mind games with her by starting her one week and dropping her the next.

>"She just felt those little things were intentional."

>Riglar told the inquest that Morgan also made comments about Cusack's relationship with her.

>When Morgan joined United, Riglar said, he told the players in the first meeting that if anyone was in a relationship within the team, they had to tell him.

>Riglar said: "She found it uncomfortable when Jonathan would call me 'Mrs Cusack', especially in front of other players.

>"We wanted to keep our relationship very professional. The football side and relationship side were very separate."

>Riglar told the court that Morgan made a comment about Cusack's weight and she changed her eating and exercise habits, including by not eating carbohydrates, skipping breakfast and going for extra runs after training.

>Riglar added: "She was one of the fittest players on the team anyway."

>The footballer told the coroner that Cusack had become "paranoid" at the start of the new season.

>She added: "She didn't really have anyone she could speak to without it getting back to Jonathan."

>The inquest heard Cusack had a sick note from a doctor to have time off football and her marketing job at United.

>She had also been prescribed anti-anxiety medication, the inquest has been told.

>Cusack told her girlfriend before her death that she wanted to move to Dubai and be a flight attendant, and had been looking for a new job online.

>Riglar told the coroner: "She didn't want to go back to playing football. I don't think she really knew how to get out of that situation."