Former Sheffield United manager Jonathan Morgan has defended his relationship with Maddy Cusack, a player who died in September 2023 at the age of 27, following statements he made to the FA describing her as "generally a liar." These comments were revealed during an ongoing inquest at Chesterfield Coroner's Court.
Morgan submitted his statement to the FA after Cusack's death. During the inquest, he explained that his remark about her being a "liar" related to "the aftermath and where Maddy had omitted a lot of information about the scenario" and was not about her character in the football environment. He further elaborated that she had omitted information from her family about instances where he had provided support, including assistance with mortgage payments.
Morgan also addressed his past professional relationship with Cusack, which began at Leicester City. Her mother had previously claimed that Cusack felt she joined Leicester based on "a lot of lies" after Morgan told her a King Power stadium takeover was imminent, which did not materialize until 2020. Morgan stated that at Leicester, there was a "massive gap" between Cusack's expectations and the club's reality.
He described Cusack as "difficult for me to manage," attributing this to her "pressures and anxieties of her wanting to get back to the WSL as quickly as possible." Despite this, Morgan maintained that their initial meetings were "nothing out of the ordinary," with Cusack often seen "joking and laughing" and engaging in "banter."
The inquest also heard details about comments Morgan made regarding Cusack's physique. He admitted to telling her she was "just a bit bottom heavy," explaining it was in the context of implementing a more physically demanding style of football. This comment, according to Cusack's partner Grace Riglar, led Cusack to alter her eating habits and increase her training.
Morgan denied claims that he referred to Riglar as "Mrs Cusack" in front of teammates, describing it as "banter" and a "tongue-in-cheek moment." He also refuted allegations of calling Cusack a "psycho," citing discrepancies in the alleged timing of the comment and stating it was based on hearsay.
Morgan was dismissed by Sheffield United in February 2024. The inquest into Maddy Cusack's death is continuing.