Former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack was concerned she would be stigmatised and ridiculed over her mental health, an inquest has heard.

The 27-year-old was found dead at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023.

Her father, David Cusack, told Chesterfield Coroner’s Court that being reunited with a coach she did not like and changes to her contract had left her demotivated.

He said: “We thought she was depressed, not suicidal.”

David Cusack told the court life had been made “unpleasant” for his daughter by coach Jonathan Morgan while she played for Leicester City.

He said Maddy “never came across a character” like Morgan before, including the “way he dealt with people”.

His daughter had been “so happy” to leave Leicester in 2019, he said, and was “loving life” playing part-time for Sheffield United while also working full-time in its marketing team.

Her father described Maddy as being “the happiest she had ever been” the Christmas before she died.

However, he told the inquest she had been “dismayed” to learn Morgan was joining the club in February 2023.

The inquest was told Cusack stopped being so strict about her healthy diet before her death.

Her father said: “I think, towards the end, she was demotivated. She didn’t let herself go, or anything like that. She was demotivated or deflated.”

Morgan, who is representing himself in the inquest, asked Cusack if he was aware that his daughter left Leicester because she sustained a hamstring injury that limited her playing time.

Cusack said he thought his daughter had not played matches at Leicester because of a “clash of personalities”.

He also told the inquest a new contract to play for Sheffield United full-time given to her in June 2023 had made it difficult to do her marketing work – which became a part-time role – and actually ended up with her being paid less.

Cusack told the court that contract had been “the worst thing that could have happened”.

“We knew she was not very happy about how things had gone. She became unwell in July. I think that was as a result of the contract,” he said.

“It was strung out most of the summer, that contract.

“She was anxious, worried, how she was going to be able to combine the two roles.

“The money was less than it was the previous year. She just lost her joie de vivre.”

Cusack said his daughter could often be working seven days a week, with training and marketing during weekdays and games at the weekend.

By August she was “unwell” and “unhappy”, he told the court.

“She had lost her bounce. She was anxious, worried [about] how she would combine the roles. She had no free time,” he said.

“It all came back to the relationship with Mr Morgan, who should have got off to a fresh start with her in February.”

Asked about a comment by Maddy that she had “no future”, her father said: “She’s got to give up something. She couldn’t carry on like this. We thought she was depressed, not suicidal.”

The inquest heard Sheffield United did not offer any psychotherapy or other support to the player and she was given a sick note for time off work by a doctor.

Cusack said his daughter, who was prescribed medication, felt that if she used her mental health as an “excuse” she “would be out” of the team, and feared being stigmatised and ridiculed.

“It wouldn’t be the first time an organisation stigmatised someone not well enough to work,” he said.

Her GP Dr Bhatti also gave evidence, telling the court: “She had been anxious, unable to sleep and had worrying thoughts.

“We discussed a sick note, but she was unsure as she did not want to be stigmatised.

“Maddy did not want the specific diagnosis to be on the note so it said ‘generally unwell’.”

Her father told the court the club “did not provide any support” for Maddy.

He also described finding his daughter unconscious and attempting CPR.

“After she passed away, we wanted – and still want – those we think are responsible to be held responsible,” he said.

“Rather than just let it go, ‘what a shame’, I decided I wanted to write down what her problems were, what she told us her problems were, and make a complaint.

“The man in the firing line was Mr Morgan.

“I wanted to air the grievances we had.”

Sheffield United’s own investigation, which concluded in December 2023, found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The inquest continues.

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