A look at Leeds United’s ‘high risk’ medical approach to transfers
Rob Price, the head of medicine and performance at Leeds United, provided a detailed analysis of the function his division plays in new hires.
Head of Medicine and Performance at Leeds United, Rob Price, says his team will make every effort to ascertain a player’s high-risk status before he joins the Whites. He will then report the results to the management and board, who will ultimately decide whether to sign a player. The idea that a player may flunk a medical is something of a fiction.
We absolutely look research on all the players before they arrive, Price said in an interview with the Official Leeds United Podcast. With some of the work we’re doing with the new ownership group and the additional data we now have at our disposal, we want to enhance that even more.
“We get in touch with the athlete’s previous club, obtain all of their GPS details, conduct searches, and check up the player on social media. When they come, we then do a very extensive medical.
“We scan their back, pelvis, hips, knees, and ankles throughout a couple of hours on the scanner. After that, we look over that. After that, they spend additional time with the medical personnel, who examines them physically.
“We compile all of that information and attempt to create a risk profile for that player to present to the board. Has he failed a medical, you hear others say? Everyone has a risk when they are signed, thus no one actually fails a physical; the question is which risk the club is prepared to take.
“After discussing it with the manager and the board, they make a decision. We may say, “Look, this player is high risk. He has only participated in 50% of the games over the last two years. On his scan, we discovered this in his knee, and it has a percentage chance of getting worse over this period of time. Are you willing to take that risk?”
“That might then be the subject of new discussions, and the contract provisions relating to when they play might alter. To attempt to make it a safer procedure for the club and prevent them from signing somebody who is particularly weak, we just provide all that information back.
“You may do as much as you want, and then someone might go and tear their ACL or break something else the next week. Accidents and injuries do happen. However, you’ve done your job as long as you’ve ruled out everything that may be predisposing to that.
