Jonathan Morgan, the coach of former Sheffield United footballer Maddy Cusack, told the Football Association she was “generally a liar” in an account he gave after her death, an inquest has heard.
Cusack, 27, was found unconscious by her father David at their family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023 and pronounced dead the same day. The midfielder had played a full 90 minutes the week before.
“Jonathan Morgan called Maddy Cusack a liar to the FA after her death, inquest hears.”
Morgan, who coached Cusack from February 2023 at Sheffield United, gave evidence on Monday at a two-week inquest at Chesterfield Coroner's Court. He had previously released the player when he was a coach at Leicester City.
Responding to the claim he called her a liar – made in an account to the FA as part of an investigation after her death – Morgan said Cusack had “omitted a lot of information” when she spoke to her family about his behaviour.
“In terms of the scenarios since Maddy passed away, I genuinely feel things have not been portrayed factually or correctly with how she was feeling,” Morgan told Dean Armstrong KC, representing Cusack's family. “With the lying comment, it was based on the back of things after Maddy passed away. It became evident she omitted things to her family and others that I had supported her with.”
Morgan told assistant coroner Sophie Cartwright KC there had been “a lot of one-sided information”. He denied shouting at Cusack at either Sheffield United or Leicester City, and said her lack of playing time after he arrived was because she was recovering from a foot injury.
The inquest previously heard from Grace Riglar, Cusack's teammate and partner, who said Cusack was “anxious” about Morgan joining the club after her experience of working with him at Leicester City. Cusack's mother Deborah described Morgan as her daughter's “nemesis”, adding he had made comments about her weight and relationship to “cut her down to size” and be “in control”.
In the week after Cusack's death, her family sent a written complaint to Sheffield United outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with the club's coach. Morgan said he had no concerns about his relationship with Cusack when he joined Sheffield United as manager.
The inquest continues.