Tranmere Rovers appoint Lee Martin as new physio

Feb 16 2010 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

NEW physiotherapist Lee Martin began work at Tranmere this week to find a pair of key defenders on the treatment table.

Martin, the former Huddersfield Town physio, has joined the backroom staff at Prenton Park to give Les Parry more time to focus on his managerial duties.

The arrangement is on a Monday to Friday basis because Martin has commitments to a private practice in Huddersfield, so Parry will continue to act as Rovers’ sponge man in matches.

But the task of nursing Marlon Broomes (jarred knee) and Ian Goodison (ankle) into shape for Saturday’s League One encounter with Leyton Orient now falls to the 41-year-old Yorkshireman.

Martin boasts a background of 20 years in the game and played more than 250 career matches as a goalkeeper for Huddersfield, Blackpool, Halifax and Macclesfield. He completed a degree in physiotherapy at Salford University in 2002 and worked as Huddersfield’s physio between 2003 and 2008, leaving when Stan Ternent, the manager at the time, introduced new backroom staff at the Galpharm Stadium.

Parry said: “It’s great to have Lee here. I needed someone I could push straight into the treatment room and leave him to get on with things. It was no good me bringing in a physio fresh from university. I would’ve been going back in every two minutes to check things out and to answer questions.

“With Lee I won’t need to do that. He knows how to handle players and he’s the world’s nicest lad, the type you could not dislike. It’s great to have him here.”

The appointment frees up Parry to concentrate full-time on his duties as manager.

The long-serving physio has been coping with a dual role since he succeeded the sacked John Barnes in early October, generating a steady improvement in team performances and results.

Parry said: “It has not been easy try to find the right person to come in to work as a physio because I needed someone who’s been in football.

“I know Lee well. He played in goal for Huddersfield, coached their goalkeepers and then became a physio.”

Martin is also a physio for the English Institute of Sport. He will be enjoying some assistance from George Cain, the former Liverpool referee who has been helping out in the Tranmere treatment room for several weeks, on work experience from a Salford University degree course.

Parry said: “George is brilliant and get on with the lads very well.”

Centre-back Broomes sustained his injury in the 1-1 draw at Southend United last weekend. Goodison, who missed the 1-0 win at Gillingham last week, played through the game at Roots Hall but the ankle problem is still troublesome.

Parry said: “They are both concerns for us. I know Ian played well against Southend but he was hobbling and struggling at times.

“We will have to be very careful with Ian because he is important to us.”

With extra-time to devote to team affairs, Parry says he will be hammering home the message this week about defensive discipline and the need to keep down the number of free kicks and corners Tranmere concede to the opposition.

Parry said: “It was annoying we were under pressure from so many set plays at Southend because it was the one thing we told the lads not to do.

“We were playing a team from the land of the giants. We had John Welsh (5ft 7in), picking up someone who was 6ft because we had used up all of our tall lads in marking players who were six-two and six-three.

“We have to organise to defend set plays. Even more important, we have to avoid giving away too many corners and free kicks in danger areas.

“On Saturday we gave away nine corners and probably even more free-kicks. The fact that Southend did not score from any of them was a credit to our defending.”