Fitness fears of stars who are out of contract

WITH the closing of the transfer window our clubs, managers and supporters will be looking forward to the stability this brings.

After a summer of reshaping their squads, managers across the country will hope that the recent additions to their team will perform to the best of their ability and settle in quickly with their new team-mates.

In elite sport, new players are expected to literally hit the ground running and justify the faith and expense shown by the club in signing them.

Given the financial realities within Scottish football, there have been very few transfers commanding a fee this summer.

Perhaps loan and swap deals are the order of the day for the foreseeable future as clubs accept that the, albeit improving, financial situation is affecting them as much as society at large.

For one group of players the transfer deadline is, however, of little concern as they battle through their rehabilitation from significant injury.

For injured players, the end of their contract has come before they are fit to play again and they then have to regain fitness without a weekly wage.

Cthose players will have to find and pay for their injury rehabilitation themselves – all this while unable to earn a living.

For some players the prospect of months of arduous rehabilitation, while isolated from former team-mates and without the back-up of experienced medical support, may be too much and they may choose to exit the game forever.

PFA Scotland, the players union in Scotland, by recognising this predicament have tried to support these out of contract members and facilitate their return to employment.

For some players this involves Fraser Wishart and his staff organising employment skills training to enable them to earn a living away from football.

For others, it is supporting their rehabilitation to ensure the best possible recovery and get them back playing football as soon as possible.

One positive for these players is that they can sign for a club outwith the transfer window. The Clinic at Hampden has been working with PFA Scotland over recent years to assist these players to regain fitness.

Access to physiotherapy care, medical support, use of the rehabilitation gym and hydrotherapy pool and input from our sports scientist enables them to overcome the injury and then regain the required level of fitness in the shortest time possible.

Nothing gives us more pleasure than to see these players back on the pitch – unless they are scoring goals against my team!