In addition to the captures of Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson and Tevez, the Reds made another important signing during the summer months in the shape of new Fitness Coach Tony Strudwick.
Tony, who recently completed a PhD in Sports Science at Liverpool John Moores University, joined the club in July to replace Valter di Salvo after a three-season stint at Blackburn Rovers.
A former Fitness Coach for Coventry and West Ham, Tony also brings a wealth of international experience to the club having previously worked with some of the country’s brightest prospects – including a teenage Wayne Rooney - during his time with the Football Association…
How excited are you to be here and have your first couple of months in the job gone so far?Very well. ItÂ’s hard not to get excited when youÂ’ve been given the opportunity to work with some of the best players in the world at such a fantastic club. The sheer size of the operation is unbelievable. But the fact that there are so many different facets to the club is what really struck me when I first joined. The expectations at a club like Manchester United are massive and the aim is to have the best players, the best staff and the best facilities and thatÂ’s exactly what weÂ’ve got. ItÂ’s a place where you want to come and work every day.
Tell us about your role at the club?A big part of my role involves preparing the players for training. Aside from the training element I also have responsibilities on matchday during the pre-match warm-up. I work closely with Carlos [Queiroz] and the other coaches on a daily basis. Carlos drives the coaching process and as fitness coach it’s up to me to support him and the manager from the point of view of preparing the players both for training and for matches. In the main, that’s from a physical point of view but it also involves the mental side of the game at times. The physical preparation part isn’t just about putting the squad through a warm-up, I prepare them for what’s going to happen in each individual training session – it’s all about looking at the bigger picture. There was already a very successful framework in place before I joined the club, but hopefully I can add some fresh ideas to the set-up. I look at my role as being a long term evolution process because year-on-year it’s important that we keep raising the bar.
Had you worked with any of the players before you joined?Yes I knew a few of the lads before I came. During my time with the FA I worked with Wayne [Rooney] at England U16 level. He was a fabulous player and a supreme athlete even then – he was already a man at 16 and he continues to get better and better. I also worked with Wes Brown, Michael Carrick and Tom Heaton when they played for the U21’s. Michael is a player I know particularly well having worked with him at West Ham too. It’s great to see how he’s developed – he’s a terrific guy and a great player. He’s in good company at United – it’s fantastic to see the talented mix of players we’ve got within the squad and hopefully they will continue to go from strength to strength.
How was your first meeting with Sir Alex?It went very well. The boss has a real aura about him but he also has an unbelievable ability to make you feel at ease and feel welcome. Another great thing about him is when he brings people into the club he undoubtedly trusts their opinion which gives you great confidence.
It must have been pleasing to see the team pick up a trophy in your first match for the club in the Community Shield at WembleyÂ…Yes it was great. I didnÂ’t really feel an ownership over that performance because IÂ’d only had one training session with the players. Nevertheless it was nice to pick up a win and a trophy on my Wembley debut! It was great way to kick-off the season and a win like that always helps to solidify team bonding which can only have a positive impact on the rest of the campaign.
How big a part does a fitness coach play in today’s game or have they always played an important role?The model we’re starting to adopt in this country now is like those used in Southern Europe – the Italian model, the Spanish model and to a lesser extent the French model. Historically, the fitness role at a football club was often left to the physiotherapist. Over time clubs would bring in a running coach now and again, but that wasn’t ideal because a footballer’s fitness is different to that of a runner. Over the last fifteen to twenty years there has been an evolution within the game to adopt a more foreign approach and to have more specialist coaches in specialist areas of the training set-up. There is a much bigger emphasis on the physical preparation of footballers than ever before because of the number of games that players are involved in each season. For that reason virtually every Premier League club now has a fitness coach. Coaches don’t just look at the training process nowadays, they look at the recovery process as well. At a club like United nothing can be left to chance. It’s part of the manager’s vision to leave no stone unturned and he fully recognises the importance of having a fitness coach. Hopefully I can play some part in helping the club remain at the forefront of the game.