Maddy Cusack was a 27-year-old Sheffield United Women midfielder and club marketing executive who sadly died at her home in Derbyshire on 20 September 2023; police said at the time there were no suspicious circumstances around her death.

What happened to Maddy Cusack?

  • Maddy Cusack was found dead at her home address on Lady Lea Road, Horsley, in Derbyshire, on 20 September 2023.
  • She was an established player for Sheffield United Women, having made more than 100 appearances since joining the club in 2019, and also worked in the club’s marketing department.
  • Derbyshire Police said there were “no suspicious circumstances” regarding her death, meaning they did not initially treat it as a criminal case.

The exact medical cause and full circumstances have not yet been made public, because the formal inquest into her death has been delayed several times and is now scheduled to start on 29 June 2026. Until that inquest concludes, there is no official, detailed public explanation of precisely what happened.

Inquest and investigations (latest news)

  • A coroner’s inquest into her death was supposed to begin in early 2026 but was postponed after delays in disclosure of documents, with the coroner apologising to her family for how long the process has taken.
  • The inquest is now expected to run for up to two weeks from 29 June 2026, almost three years after she died.
  • Separately, Sheffield United launched an external investigation in 2023 into the circumstances surrounding her death and her experiences at the club, after concerns were raised by her family.
  • An investigation cited by ITV reported “no evidence of wrongdoing” in relation to the club, but her family remain unhappy and want the inquest to fully examine what happened.

Her family’s lawyers have criticised what they call “completely unacceptable” delays, especially around a large disclosure of documents from the club shortly before an earlier scheduled inquest date. Her brother has spoken publicly about how painful it has been to face repeated postponements when they were ready for answers.

Concerns raised by her family

  • Less than a week after her death, her family submitted a written complaint to Sheffield United, saying she had been facing issues connected to her relationship with then women’s team head coach Jonathan Morgan.
  • Her parents later filed a seven‑page grievance detailing concerns about her final seven months at the club after Morgan’s appointment in February 2023.
  • Morgan has denied causing her emotional distress and says he is being treated unfairly; he has been the subject of an investigation by the Football Association following a complaint from her parents.

Friends and former teammates have also spoken publicly, saying that her death should be a “wake‑up call” about pressures in women’s football and the support systems around players. Some close to her believe that, without those pressures and failures in support, “Maddy would still be here,” although this is their perspective rather than an official finding.

What is not known yet

Because the inquest has not yet taken place, several key points remain officially unresolved:

  • The precise medical cause of death has not been publicly confirmed by the coroner.
  • The inquest will examine her mental state, any workplace or football‑related factors, and the timeline leading up to her death, but those findings do not yet exist in public form.
  • Media and forum discussions sometimes speculate about self‑harm, mental health, or specific incidents at the club, but these remain unconfirmed until the inquest evidence is heard.

So, for now, all that can be said with certainty is: she died at home at 27, police did not treat it as suspicious, her family believes issues around her time at the club played a role, and a delayed inquest in summer 2026 is expected to give a fuller, official account.

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<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Question</th>
    <th>Answer (known so far)</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Who was Maddy Cusack?</td>
    <td>Sheffield United Women midfielder and club marketing executive, 27 years old at the time of her death.[web:4][web:10]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>When did she die?</td>
    <td>20 September 2023.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Where was she found?</td>
    <td>At her home in Horsley, Derbyshire.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Were there suspicious circumstances?</td>
    <td>Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.[web:1][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Is there an official cause of death?</td>
    <td>Not yet publicly confirmed; the full inquest is scheduled to begin on 29 June 2026.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>What are the family’s concerns?</td>
    <td>They raised complaints about issues at Sheffield United and her relationship with then head coach Jonathan Morgan and want the inquest to examine those final months.[web:4][web:7][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Information gathered from public reporting and commentary available on the internet; formal conclusions will depend on the coroner’s inquest outcome.