The mother of late Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack has accused the club's hierarchy of lying to her family and of failing to support her daughter's mental health needs following the appointment of manager Jonathan Morgan.

Deborah Cusack told an inquest into her daughter's death that Sheffield United CEO Stephen Bettis and head of HR Vicki Anderson claimed ignorance of Morgan's reputation when they visited the family a week after Maddy was found dead at her home on September 20, 2023. She was 27.

"They both lied to me and that is unforgivable because they both knew about his reputation," Deborah Cusack told the hearing. "Mr. Bettis referred to it in the FA report. They both knew about the grievance that had been lodged (against him previously) and they both knew about the difficulties."

Maddy Cusack's father, David Cusack, had previously told the inquest that Morgan's appointment in February 2023 was the principal cause of the deterioration of his daughter's mental health.

Jonathan Morgan, who had previously worked with Maddy Cusack at Leicester City before following her to Sheffield United in 2019, was described by Deborah Cusack as her daughter's "nemesis." Messages between Maddy and her teammates referred to Morgan as a "prison warden."

Deborah Cusack stated that she believed Morgan's appointment, coupled with other "cumulative" incidents, had a severe impact on her daughter. "You had to cut her down to size. I feel that you cut her down to size and there is a direct line. If you hadn't been employed, which you should never have been, my daughter would be here today," she told Morgan, who represented himself at the inquest.

She further alleged that the club attempted to "discredit" her daughter by suggesting Maddy had struggled with previous coaches, a claim Deborah Cusack vehemently denied. She explained that Maddy had been part of a group of players who refused to be involved in a grievance concerning a former manager, Carla Ward, and that Ward had subsequently praised Maddy for helping to de-escalate the situation.

Two weeks prior to her death, Deborah Cusack contacted club doctor Subhashis Basu to request counselling for Maddy, in addition to private medical services the family had already arranged. "I asked (Dr. Basu) if we could have some counselling and he said 'No, not at the minute, that's something to be discussed further down the line,'" she recounted. She added that she had to find her own counselor.

Morgan was dismissed by Sheffield United in February 2024 after details emerged of a relationship with a teenage player during his time as manager at Leicester City. The Football Association began its own investigation into the matter in January 2024, sharing its report with the coroner a year later, though it is not expected to be published until the inquest concludes.

Maddy Cusack was Sheffield United's longest-serving player at the time of her death.

The inquest continues.