Ex-Blackburn Rovers player opens sports massage clinic after fan's jibe about his age - Lancashire Telegraph

[Jack Stott]

Mick Rathbone made more than 250 appearances for Rovers between 1979 and 1987 and later went on to become the physiotherapist in David Moyes' backroom staff team at Preston and then Everton.

Having left the team at Accrington Stanley at the end of last month, he has started his clinic which focusses on any sports injury as well as sports massage and soft tissue work.

The former defender said that he realised it was time to call it a day when running to apply treatment in Accrington’s game against Stockport and one fan shouted, “how old is their physio”.

Mick said: “I think the fact I don’t want to be on the pitch. I worked for so many clubs. I am 66 next week, you always wonder when it is time to pack up and I kept going back.

“I was working at Accrington, and I went down the far side, and someone shouted how old is the physio?

“I thought that was it then and I was waiting for that sign for years. Thank you to that Stockport fan. I would be in the dugout in the rain if it wasn’t for him.”

He intends to run the business on a part-time basis and wants to make it a relaxed environment where injured athletes can have a chat and a cuppa after their appointment.

Mick added: “I wasn’t motivated to be at clubs seven days a week and I thought I would move away.

“It is good, we wanted it to be friendly and prompt, it is mainly for a diagnosis. It has been fantastic, get an hour each and give them a time to chat and yeah we do the job and then we sit and chat.”

Mick has also penned a book, The Smell of Football, which provided a brutally honest look behind the scenes of the game, stretching from his time at Birmingham City to working with Everton stars in the Premier League.