Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard on Monday that Jonathan Morgan, the coach of former Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack, described the player as "generally a liar" in a statement to the Football Association following her death. The revelation came during the inquest into Cusack's passing, which has reignited scrutiny over the culture within the women's game and the alleged conduct of Morgan towards the 27-year-old.
Cusack, who made over 100 appearances for Sheffield United and had previously worked with Morgan at Leicester City, was found unresponsive at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023. Her family has since submitted a written complaint to the club outlining issues they claim stemmed from her relationship with Morgan, including comments about her weight and a personal relationship with teammate Grace Riglar.
Coach's 'Liar' Remark to FA
On Monday, Dean Armstrong KC, representing Cusack's family, questioned Morgan about the comment he made to the FA, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Morgan admitted to calling her "generally a liar" but argued that he felt information about his support for Cusack had been omitted from accounts given by her family after her death.
"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 the court. "There's definitely evidence (that) Maddy omitted information from her family about my support to her."
He added that the lying comment was based on his belief that Cusack had not told her family the full extent of his support, and that there had been "a lot of one-sided information" since her death. Assistant Coroner Sophie Cartwright KC heard the testimony as the court continues to examine the chain of events leading up to Cusack's death.
Morgan Denies Weight-Shaming Allegations
The inquest has heard that Cusack changed her eating and exercise habits after Morgan's arrival, including skipping breakfast and going for extra runs. It was previously revealed that Morgan described Cusack as "bottom heavy" — a comment he now says referred to her legs being "too muscular", which he believed would burn her energy when sprinting.
Morgan denied the phrase was intended as a criticism and insisted that when he told Cusack she looked "much fitter", she misinterpreted it as calling her "fat". He said: "Which obviously is not true." He also denied an earlier allegation that he had called Riglar "Mrs Cusack" in front of other players — a remark Cusack's mother said would have left her daughter "absolutely humiliated beyond belief".
"I actually said, 'Here come the girlfriends,'" Morgan testified. "It was a tongue-in-cheek comment meant as a bit of banter, and they then made a joke about my weight."
Dropped from First Match — and the Relationship Question
The court heard that Cusack did not feature in Morgan's first game after he joined Sheffield United in February 2023, despite playing the full 90 minutes the week before. Morgan denied he was trying to "cut her down to size", explaining she was recovering from an injury sustained before his arrival.
On the topic of team relationships, Morgan was asked about a conversation with Cusack and Riglar regarding their partnership. He said he had asked players who were in a relationship within the squad to inform him because "in the past, relationships have had issues within the environment. People would break up, it would cause scenarios that sort of divided the team's opinion." He added that the conversation with Cusack and Riglar "was a five-minute conversation, I said 'that's fine' and we moved on."
Morgan also claimed he had told Cusack during a phone call after she had been prescribed medication: "Take all the time you need, there's always a place for you on my team this season." The inquest continues, with more witnesses expected to give evidence.
Quick Facts
Player: Maddy Cusack (27), Sheffield United midfielder
Date of death: 20 September 2023
Coach: Jonathan Morgan, joined Sheffield United February 2023
Key allegation: Morgan called Cusack "generally a liar" in FA account
Family complaint: Weight comments, relationship remarks, humiliation
Inquest location: Chesterfield Coroner's Court
Key Takeaways
- Jonathan Morgan admitted calling Maddy Cusack "generally a liar" in a statement to the FA, claiming her family omitted details of his support.
- Morgan denied accusations of weight-shaming and insisted remarks about her being "bottom heavy" were technical observations about her muscle composition.
- The coach also denied calling teammate Grace Riglar "Mrs Cusack", instead saying he made a light-hearted "girlfriends" comment.
- Cusack's family has presented evidence of changes in her eating and training habits after Morgan's arrival, which they link to his conduct.
- The inquest continues to examine the role of club culture and coaching behaviour in the events leading up to Cusack's death.
