ENGLAND’S TOP PHYSIO BRINGS JOY TO LOY

RORY LOY has revealed how gruelling sessions under England’s World Cup physiotherapist at St George’s Park fuelled his successful bid to play in the Scottish Cup Final. The talismanic Falkirk striker has been out of action since picking up a stress fracture in a leg in the quarter-final victory over Queen of the South in March. The 27-year-old previously played for Carlisle and, as a member of the Professional Footballers Association, he qualified to receive a week’s rehabilitation at the FA’s plush football centre at Burton-on- Trent, with Falkirk funding the second week of his stay. At St George’s Park, Loy (left) worked under Steve Kemp, the man who replaced head physio Gary Lewin in Brazil last summer after he dislocated his ankle while celebrating Daniel Sturridge’s equaliser against Italy. And after being starved of oxygen in an altitude chamber and sessions on an anti-gravity treadmill, Loy — who could not run properly three weeks ago — insists he is now ready and able to face Inverness at Hampden. ‘They’ve got a lot of facilities down at St George’s Park and they worked me hard,’ he said. ‘I got one-to-one use of some top physios, working on my rehab, including the England national team physio Steve Kemp. ‘If you can’t put your full weight on your leg, they work you in other ways at St George’s Park. ‘They have the AlterG running machine, which allowed me to run only using around 60-70 per cent of my body weight. ‘I wasn’t able to run fully until two or three weeks ago, so by doing that I was able to run and get the lungs going. ‘I was also in an altitude chamber with the bike. The chamber starves you of oxygen, basically, and it wasn’t nice! ‘So, fitness-wise, I am good. I got some game time down in Swansea last week, too, so I’m looking forward to Saturday now. ‘It’s been a long time out but there was the biggest incentive to get back. I have done all the hard work. It is over to the manager now to decide how big a role I’ll have.’ A former Rangers trainee, Loy has signed a pre-contract to join Dundee in the summer. But the Falkirk fans have remained firmly supportive of him since the news emerged and he would dearly love to repay them by signing off in style. ‘I can only speculate as to why the Falkirk fans have been so good to me,’ he said. ‘I think they appreciate how hard I’ve worked to try to help the club. ‘This club has been absolutely brilliant with me since day one, injured or not injured. It’s the best-run club I’ve been at in so many respects. It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of it. ‘And had this been three, four, five years ago I would have signed on the dotted line for Falkirk. But I spent a lot of time on the bench as a young player at Rangers — even if I got the great experience of being involved in Champions League nights and an Old Firm derby. ‘I think the fans understand that I’m 27 now and I want the opportunity to go and play in the top league.’