The Chesterfield Coroner's Court opened an inquest on Monday into the death of former Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack, who was found dead at her Derbyshire home on September 20, 2023.
The 27-year-old made 110 appearances for Sheffield United and also worked part-time for the club's marketing team after joining in January 2019.
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David Cusack, the player's father, submitted a written complaint to the club less than a week after her death, pointing to head coach Jonathan Morgan as the source of his daughter's profound distress.
The court heard that Ms. Cusack had previously worked with Mr. Morgan at Leicester City, an experience that left her deeply unhappy before she moved to Sheffield United.
"She was dismayed by the possibility of him coming back into her life. I tried to be positive," David Cusack said.
According to her father, Ms. Cusack experienced a severe drop in motivation and stopped maintaining her strict athletic diet in the final months of her life.
"Towards the end, she was demotivated or deflated," he said.
Mr. Morgan, who represented himself at the inquest, questioned whether Ms. Cusack's departure from Leicester City was actually due to a hamstring injury.
David Cusack described it as a "clash of personalities."
The inquest detailed how Ms. Cusack struggled after signing a full-time contract with Sheffield United in summer 2023, which created scheduling conflicts with her marketing role.
"We knew she was not very happy.
