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The former captain of Sheffield United’s women’s team has told an inquest she believes Maddy Cusack’s girlfriend moving away was the main reason for her decline in mental health.
Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard that Cusack’s family sent a written complaint about the head coach of the team, Jonathan Morgan, outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with him.
Cusack was found unresponsive at her home address in Horsley, Derbyshire, by her father on September 20, 2023, and died that day.
On Wednesday, Sophie Barker, who was the captain of the women’s team at the time, said she told the player’s family that “Maddy would still be here” if her girlfriend Grace Riglar had not moved from United to a different football club.
Barker said: “When Maddy found out Grace was going to go so far away, that affected Maddy. She was infatuated with Grace.
“She felt Grace was leaving her – I had to reassure her that Grace was just moving – it didn’t mean they had split or anything like that.”
Barker added: “I remember saying to Maddy’s family, after everything that happened, that if Grace was still local Maddy would still be here.”
Dean Armstrong KC, representing Cusack’s family, suggested to Barker that Morgan’s behaviour and an absence of support from the club in adjusting to her full-time football role alongside her marketing job were the principal reasons for Cusack’s decline in mental health.
Barker said: “No, I believe Grace was the main reason.”
Barker said Cusack had told her she felt “anxious” about Morgan joining United in February 2023, because of her experience of working with him at Leicester years earlier.
The former United captain said: “She explained to me her previous experiences – that he was unprofessional, that he sold her dreams that, when she went there, weren’t real and he chatted a lot of rubbish.”
The inquest heard that Cusack was “willing to give Morgan another chance” and “get her head down”.
Cusack then did not discuss any problems related to Morgan with Barker, the inquest heard.
Barker told the court: “She had either hid it from me or didn’t tell me because she knew I would say something to Jonathan. Maddy really didn’t like confrontation – she knew I would have gone and confronted him about it.”
The inquest heard on Tuesday that Cusack thought the coach was playing “mind games” with her, and had made comments about her weight and relationship with Riglar.
In June 2023, Barker said her colleague became “quieter” and “more reserved”, adding: “She turned up and went home.
“She didn’t really contribute to much. It was a completely different person to the Maddy that was the season before, where she was very bubbly.”
Francesca Carr, who was then the head physiotherapist for United’s women’s team, told the inquest that she did not have concerns Cusack would harm herself.
She told the coroner: “There were players I had more concerns about from a mental health or a coping point of view.”
But Carr did recall Cusack being “heartbroken” on one occasion when she went to the wrong training ground.
The physio told the inquest: “I said ‘we are at this one’ and she just started crying on the phone.
“It just wasn’t a normal reaction for me. I just thought that reaction is excessive for what happened. I know that emotional reaction is a sign.”
The inquest previously heard that Cusack thought Morgan made a “personal attack” on her by not putting her in the starting line-up for matches.
Morgan, who is representing himself in the inquest, asked Carr if the “collaborative decision” not to put Cusack in the starting line-up for his first competitive game at the club was in her “best interests” because of an injury to her ankle.
Carr replied: “I think her not playing then, yes, was in her best interests.”
She added: “Maddy, in my professional opinion, pushed too hard too early on to try and get back fit.”
Asked by Joseph O’Brien KC, who represents Sheffield United, whether she heard Cusack complain about Morgan in the summer of 2023, Carr replied: “No I didn’t.”
The inquest continues.
The former captain of Sheffield United’s women’s team has told an inquest she believes Maddy Cusack’s girlfriend moving away was the main reason for her decline in mental health.
Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard that Cusack’s family sent a written complaint about the head coach of the team, Jonathan Morgan, outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with him.
Cusack was found unresponsive at her home address in Horsley, Derbyshire, by her father on September 20, 2023, and died that day.
On Wednesday, Sophie Barker, who was the captain of the women’s team at the time, said she told the player’s family that “Maddy would still be here” if her girlfriend Grace Riglar had not moved from United to a different football club.
Barker said: “When Maddy found out Grace was going to go so far away, that affected Maddy. She was infatuated with Grace.
“She felt Grace was leaving her – I had to reassure her that Grace was just moving – it didn’t mean they had split or anything like that.”
Barker added: “I remember saying to Maddy’s family, after everything that happened, that if Grace was still local Maddy would still be here.”
Dean Armstrong KC, representing Cusack’s family, suggested to Barker that Morgan’s behaviour and an absence of support from the club in adjusting to her full-time football role alongside her marketing job were the principal reasons for Cusack’s decline in mental health.
Barker said: “No, I believe Grace was the main reason.”
Barker said Cusack had told her she felt “anxious” about Morgan joining United in February 2023, because of her experience of working with him at Leicester years earlier.
The former United captain said: “She explained to me her previous experiences – that he was unprofessional, that he sold her dreams that, when she went there, weren’t real and he chatted a lot of rubbish.”
The inquest heard that Cusack was “willing to give Morgan another chance” and “get her head down”.
Cusack then did not discuss any problems related to Morgan with Barker, the inquest heard.
Barker told the court: “She had either hid it from me or didn’t tell me because she knew I would say something to Jonathan. Maddy really didn’t like confrontation – she knew I would have gone and confronted him about it.”
The inquest heard on Tuesday that Cusack thought the coach was playing “mind games” with her, and had made comments about her weight and relationship with Riglar.
In June 2023, Barker said her colleague became “quieter” and “more reserved”, adding: “She turned up and went home.
“She didn’t really contribute to much. It was a completely different person to the Maddy that was the season before, where she was very bubbly.”
Francesca Carr, who was then the head physiotherapist for United’s women’s team, told the inquest that she did not have concerns Cusack would harm herself.
She told the coroner: “There were players I had more concerns about from a mental health or a coping point of view.”
But Carr did recall Cusack being “heartbroken” on one occasion when she went to the wrong training ground.
The physio told the inquest: “I said ‘we are at this one’ and she just started crying on the phone.
“It just wasn’t a normal reaction for me. I just thought that reaction is excessive for what happened. I know that emotional reaction is a sign.”
The inquest previously heard that Cusack thought Morgan made a “personal attack” on her by not putting her in the starting line-up for matches.
Morgan, who is representing himself in the inquest, asked Carr if the “collaborative decision” not to put Cusack in the starting line-up for his first competitive game at the club was in her “best interests” because of an injury to her ankle.
Carr replied: “I think her not playing then, yes, was in her best interests.”
She added: “Maddy, in my professional opinion, pushed too hard too early on to try and get back fit.”
Asked by Joseph O’Brien KC, who represents Sheffield United, whether she heard Cusack complain about Morgan in the summer of 2023, Carr replied: “No I didn’t.”
The inquest continues.
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| 📰 Publicación: | www.skysports.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-07-01 18:58:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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