Madeleine Cusack (28 October 1995 – 20 September 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder. She began her youth career at Nottingham Forest before moving to Aston Villa, where she made her senior professional debut in the FA Women's League Cup in 2014. She later played for Birmingham City (2017–2018), Leicester City (2018–2019), and Sheffield United (2019–2023). At Sheffield United, she became the first player to reach 100 appearances for the club's women's team and was named vice-captain in August 2023, just a month before her death. She also represented England at the U19 international level.
Off the pitch, Cusack earned a first-class honours degree in marketing, public relations, and advertising from the University of Derby, and worked as a marketing executive at Sheffield United alongside her playing career.
Cusack died on 20 September 2023 at the age of 27 at her home in Horsley, Derbyshire. Following her death, her family raised concerns about her relationship with Sheffield United's manager, Jonathan Morgan, alleging that her spirit had been "broken" in the months leading up to her death. An initial independent inquiry commissioned by the club found no evidence of wrongdoing, but in January 2024, the Football Association (FA) opened a formal investigation into her death. An inquest has been ongoing, with multiple adjournments, and is due to restart in December 2026. At the inquest, it has been heard that Cusack was concerned about stigma surrounding mental health, and a former teammate testified that her death was "definitely preventable."
