A former teammate of Maddy Cusack has set out changes she feels need to be made to support player welfare in the women's game at Cusack's inquest, adding that her death was "definitely preventable."
Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard this week that 27-year-old Cusack was found unresponsive at her home address in Horsley, Derbyshire, on September 20, 2023.
Ms Cusack's family sent a written complaint to Sheffield United in the week after her death, outlining issues allegedly stemming from her relationship with the club's coach at the time, Jonathan Morgan.
One of Ms Cusack's former teammates, Nina Wilson, told the inquest on Friday that Mr Morgan had left a number of players feeling "ostracised and isolated" and that it was well known in many teams' dressing rooms that there was "a Morgan cult" at his former club Leicester City.
She said: "I'd been at a number of clubs before Sheffield United in the same league and whenever I'd played against Jonathan Morgan's teams before, those teams were aware it was a Morgan cult.
"That was talked about in various changing rooms, not just Sheffield. Everyone knew Jonathan Morgan didn't treat his players well, and was allowed to do what he wanted because his family were in charge [at Leicester]."
Ms Wilson said Ms Cusack would have been deterred from raising any concerns after witnessing the treatment she said she had received at United.
"When I tried to escalate concerns, I was told he [Morgan] was the manager and he can do what he wants," Ms Wilson said.
"I didn't get any support, any signposting. That was the answer -- that he was the manager. Maddy was aware of that."
Asked about a comment she had made in one of her witness statements that she was angry about Ms Cusack's death and that it could have been prevented, Ms Wilson added: "It was definitely preventable."
She then set out a series of recommendations for the inquest to consider, saying it was "important this doesn't happen again."
They included mandatory psychologists at WSL2 clubs, player care personnel and reforms to the Football Association's whistleblowing and grievance procedures.
"We didn't know where to go and we weren't listened to," Ms Wilson added.
Earlier on Friday, coroner Sophie Cartwright referred to a statement given by another witness, former Sheffield United doctor Subhashis Basu, in which he said the lack of support offered to players and staff in the transition from full-time to part-time over the summer of 2023 had been a "huge oversight" by the club and that it "must have been foreseeable" that such a transition would impact on well-being.
The investigation launched in response to the complaint by the Cusack family in 2023 found no evidence of wrongdoing by anyone at the club.
Ms Wilson told the inquest Mr Morgan left players feeling "on edge," adding:
"I felt there were a number of players who were ostracised and isolated. The players that were positive about him seemed to always be in his office, it created distrust."
Ms Wilson said Ms Cusack was an "exceptionally confident" person when she first met her, but that when Mr Morgan was appointed in February 2023 she became "nervous and withdrawn."
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Another former teammate, Naomi Hartley, was asked by Mr Morgan, who is representing himself at the inquest, if she saw him bullying anyone during her time at the club.
She replied: "No, I think a lot of people were intimidated by you."
The inquest continues on Monday, when Mr Morgan is due to give evidence.