The mother of footballer Maddy Cusack told an inquest that her daughter considered her coach her "nemesis" and that she would still be alive if he had not been employed by the women's team.
Maddy Cusack's mother, Deborah, stated that her daughter found her life "unpleasant" under coach Morgan when she played for Leicester City and was "so happy to leave" in 2019 to join Sheffield United. However, the inquest heard that Cusack was "dismayed" to learn that Morgan was joining Sheffield United in February 2023.
Deborah Cusack described her daughter as someone who "lived and breathed" for Sheffield United. Shortly before Morgan took over, Cusack was featured on a "massive" billboard for the club, an honor she "loved."
"Madeleine said she felt like history was repeating itself," Deborah Cusack told the inquest. "She was devastated, it was like her nemesis returning... we'd never come across a character like that before."
The inquest was told that Morgan commented on Cusack's physique, calling her "bottom heavy." This comment prompted Cusack to "try to get fitter and thinner" by altering her eating habits and running after training sessions.
When asked by the coroner if her daughter had any prior mental health issues, Deborah Cusack responded, "Absolutely not." She described her daughter as "a bright, bubbly confident girl - she was just normal Madeleine."