29 November 2023 , 11:54
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The mother of footballer Maddy Cusack, who died at the age of 27, believes women players are facing "way too much" pressure.
Maddy, who played for Sheffield United, was found dead at her home in Derbyshire two months ago. Her family said she had no long-term mental health issues, and have since stated that her former club have agreed to launch an external investigation into the events leading up to the midfielder's death.
The second tier in women's football is not fully professional and Maddy balanced her time as a Blades player with working in the club's office as a marketing executive.
Maddy had played for United since 2019 and became the first player to make 100 appearances for the women's side last term. Her mother though says there is an expectation for females to train and behave like their male counterparts, but on a fraction of the money.
Deborah Cusack said: "Last year their players were part-time, which means that they all had full-time jobs and trained three times a week, played on a Sunday, often travelled on a Saturday to play on a Sunday, for a minimal amount of money.
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"I think Madeleine was on £6,000 a year last year to play football. So these girls are having to juggle two jobs, they're having to train and behave like male athletes for a minuscule of the amount of money they get. It's too much, the pressures are way too much."
Maddy's mother added: "She worried about her career in football, because football to her was everything. So to have that threatened in any way, shape or form, hurt. Her spirit was broken, that's the best way that I can describe it to you."
Police are not treating Maddy's death at suspicious after being called to her home in Horsley on 20 September. Sheffield United paid their own tributes in September. A minute's silence was held before their game with Newcastle and fans applauded in the eighth minute of the match to represent Cusack's squad number.
Maddy Cusack's family were part of tributes paid to the Sheffield United star (Getty Images)Her family have now set up the Maddy Cusack Foundation and are looking to give football boots to young girls who want to play the game, as it continues to grow at a rapid rate.
"For Madeleine every Christmas we had to have a ball under the Christmas tree and every year she had a brand new pair of boots," said her mother. "You know football boots, they're not the most inexpensive thing to buy and if we can possibly provide some young girls with them to help them on their way Maddy would have loved that, so that's what we'd like to do."