It’s the mayhem of transfer deadline day. The clubs have agreed a fee, agents and money-men are done haggling over personal terms and a freshly minted contract awaits a signature in the manager’s office.
All that remains before the deal can be confirmed is for the medical to be done.
This aesculapian ritual will take place hundreds of times over the course of January and the summer transfer windows — the industry’s due diligence as professional footballers move from club to club in the two sanctioned periods of the year when players are bought and sold.
Understandably, the purchasing party wants to discover the shape and fitness of their new investment. They also want to ascertain if there are any underlying conditions that could lead to injury in the future.
Given the amount spent it’s a decision you don’t want to get wrong. During the 2013/14 English Premier League season alone, the amount spent on players who went on to get injured was £194 million ($292 million), according to data collected by the respected Physioroom.com website.
The medical process
But what actually goes on during this closed-door process and how do doctors and physios arrive at their conclusions?
This was a question I sought to answer late last year when invited to St. Georges Park — state-of-the-art training base of the England national team and home to Perform, the facility’s specialized health care provider — to experience the process myself.
A leading EPL club had refused my request to undergo a medical a matter of weeks before, citing privacy concerns and an unwillingness to reveal the tests they undertake.
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Medicals used to consist of little more than clubs handing over notes to one another, a doctor going over things with the player and asking them if they were alright, Kemp said. There was very little testing or analysis done.
“Its really important that the medical team get as much information as possible. Not just to protect the board and the manager on their investment but also to gain as much information as possible on that player,” Kemp continued.
“There’s a good chance they’re going to sign for five years. If they’re having difficulties or struggling from any injuries you want to have as much information as possible to be able to find out why that information may have occurred.”
“So, selfishly, I’ll get as much information out of a medical as I can so I’ve got a really good picture of that athlete and hopefully I can give them the best care with that information.”
So how have I done? Somewhat to my surprise, Kemp tells me he sees no significant problems despite the fitness levels not being where they should be.
And while that may not be the most sparkling of references to any prospective manager, it’s also not a “do not sign him” warning!
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