Maddy Cusack: FA assessing 'relevant information' around Sheffield United player's death

Cusack was the longest serving player at Sheffield United

The Football Association says it is assessing "relevant information" around the death of Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack before deciding if it needs to take action.

The 27-year-old died in September.

Police did not treat the death as suspicious and an inquest was opened and adjourned in October.

In December, an external investigation into the events leading up to her death found no evidence of wrongdoing at Sheffield United, the club said.

"Following the conclusion of the club's independent investigation into the matter, we felt that it would be appropriate to assess the relevant information of the case," an FA spokesperson said.

"This is to understand whether or not any further action is required under our jurisdiction within football, and to establish what, if any, next steps may be appropriate.

"We are in dialogue with Maddy's family and the club during this process."

Sheffield United manager Jonathan Morgan stepped away from his role in October while the investigation was conducted but, after the club said it found no evidence of wrongdoing, returned to work earlier this month.

He is set to be in the dugout on Sunday when United travel to London for an Women's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

Cusack had been at the club since 2019 and last season became the first player to reach 100 appearances for the women's team.

She also worked as a marketing executive at the Women's Championship club. Her family said she had no long-standing mental health issues but was facing a number of pressures in the months before she died, including financial.

The Athletic reported on Monday that the Cusack family submitted a complaint detailing a wide range of grievances relating to her last seven months at the club — coinciding with the appointment of Morgan as the team's manager.

At the time of her death, the club said they were "devastated" by her passing, while men's manager Paul Heckingbottom said Cusack was a "big part of everything" at the club.

Tributes were paid at football matches across the country following her death, including at Sheffield United women's and men's games, and England's fixture against Scotland.

In a statement via the Maddy Cusack Foundation on social media in November, her family said Cusack's spirit had been "broken" in the months before her death, later telling the BBC the pressures faced by female footballers are "way too much".

BBC Sport has approached Morgan for comment relating to the allegations detailed in the Athletic report, as well as the Cusack family, while Sheffield United have declined to comment.

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