Maddy Cusack 'more than a number on a shirt' as anniversary falls during inquest delay

Sitting on a bench dedicated to her memory, Maddy Cusack's sister and cousin fondly remember her as their sunshine and someone with a real sense of fun.

Olivia Cusack says her big sister was the person "I looked up to my whole life", while for Emily Reilly, her cousin Maddy's the one who "used to get us in trouble with my dad".

But as they come to remember the former Sheffield United footballer on the third anniversary of her death, they're still waiting for answers.

An inquest examining what happened to Maddy Cusack, who was 27 when she was found unconscious at her home in Derbyshire, started in June and should've finished in July.

But it has been paused for months while her former club Sheffield United looks for documents linked to her medical records.

It means her family will have to wait until at least December to hear more evidence, a wait Olivia describes as "extremely overwhelming".

"It is very emotional and you can find yourself frustrated at times," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

"They're very difficult days."

Maddy's inquest had already been delayed twice when the coroner adjourned it after a little under two weeks in July.

Evidence, including testimony from her mum, heard how Maddy had struggled with her mental health before she died on 20 September 2023 and had problems with Sheffield United coach Jonathan Morgan.

Morgan told the inquest he had "no concerns" about their relationship and that "things have not been portrayed factually or correctly with how she was feeling".

While Maddy's relationships and wellbeing were scrutinised, Olivia says she felt Maddy herself, and who she was away from the pitch, was overlooked.

"It dawned on me that when people were asked questions about Maddy and to share what she was like as a person, they were all very similar answers and quite focused on the football side of her," she says.

"People don't seem to know her like we did - of course they don't.

"But I wanted to introduce a different side of Maddy.

"I wanted them to know more than the number on the back of her shirt or the colours that she wore on the football pitch."

Olivia and Emily often come to Maddy's memorial bench in Scargill Park in West Hallam, Derbyshire, which is where they all grew up.

With both of their birthdays at the end of October, Emily says they'd always planned to spend them together, but "now I just come here".

"She used to get us in trouble with my dad when we were younger," she says.

"It was always her idea then I'd take the blame for it."

In an inquest focusing on darker times in her life, it's this side of Maddy that her family thinks has got lost.

Olivia, along with other members of Maddy's family, has campaigned tirelessly since her sister's death, setting up a foundation in her name to support aspiring female footballers.

"The foundation keeps me going," she says. "It's been a real lifeline to be able to continue her story."

On Saturday, she organised a walk from Bramall Lane, Sheffield United's ground, to near Derby where Maddy lived - a distance of almost 30 miles.

"The aim with the walk is just to do her proud," Olivia says.

"Maddy would love that we were all challenging ourselves."

An external report ordered by Sheffield United shortly after Maddy's death cleared the club of wrongdoing.

A second report from the Football Association, commissioned in early 2024, won't be published until her inquest concludes.

In December, the family will return to Chesterfield Coroner's Court to hear more evidence about the circumstances around Maddy's death.

"She will only ever remain a part of this life if we keep saying her name and keep remembering her," Olivia says.

"And as painful as that can be on days where you want to forget and you just want to stay in bed all day and not face the world, I try and make a conscious effort to keep saying her name and keep her living alongside us ultimately."