Inquest hears teammate's view on Maddy Cusack's mental health decline

The former captain of Sheffield United's women's team has told an inquest she believes Maddy Cusack's girlfriend moving away was the main reason for her mental health issues. Cusack, 27, was found unconscious by her father David at their family home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023 and died the same day.

Teammate's testimony

On Wednesday, Sophie Barker, team captain at the time, said she told the player's family "Maddy would still be here" if her girlfriend Grace Riglar had not moved to a different football club. Barker said: "When Maddy found out Grace was going to go so far away, that affected Maddy. She was infatuated with Grace. She felt Grace was leaving her – I had to reassure her that Grace was just moving… it didn't mean they had split or anything like that."

Barker added: "I remember saying to Maddy's family, after everything that happened, that if Grace was still local Maddy would still be here."

Family's concerns about coach

Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard Cusack's family had complained about the team's head coach, Jonathan Morgan, outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with him. Dean Armstrong KC, representing Cusack's family, suggested to Barker that Morgan's behaviour and an absence of support from the club were the principal reasons for Cusack's decline in mental health. Barker said: "No, I believe Grace was the main reason."

Barker said Cusack had told her she felt "anxious" about Morgan joining United in February 2023, because of her experience of working with him at Leicester City years earlier. The former United captain said: "She explained to me her previous experiences – that he was unprofessional, that he sold her dreams that, when she went there, weren't real and he chatted a lot of rubbish." But the inquest heard Cusack did not discuss issues related to Morgan with Barker any further.

Change in behavior

In June 2023, Barker said her colleague became "quieter" and "more reserved", adding: "She turned up and went home. She didn't really contribute to much. It was a completely different person to the Maddy that was the season before, where she was very bubbly."

Physiotherapist's evidence

Francesca Carr, then head physiotherapist for United's women's team, also gave evidence on Wednesday, telling the inquest she did not have concerns about Cusack. She told the coroner: "There were players I had more concerns about from a mental health or a coping point of view." But Carr did recall Cusack bursting into tears when she went to the wrong training ground. She said: "It just wasn't a normal reaction for me. I just thought that reaction is excessive for what happened. I know that emotional reaction is a sign."

The inquest previously heard Cusack thought Morgan made a "personal attack" on her by not putting her in the starting line-up for matches. Morgan, who is representing himself in the inquest, asked Carr if the "collaborative decision" not to put Cusack in the starting line-up for his first competitive game at the club was in her "best interests" because of an injury to her ankle. Carr replied: "I think her not playing then, yes, was in her best interests."

The inquest continues.