INTERVIEW: Massive learning curve

“Obviously the first season was a really new experience for me with loads to learn and it was always going to be a massive learning curve," she said. "There’s so much to learn being a physio but I’m really enjoying it and I'm a bit more confident this season with the job I’m doing.”

Explaining her day to day work at the club, Kate told us: “In the morning the boys come in at half eight and they see me about any injuries or for tapings, strappings, and things like that. 

"They then go out to train and any injured players obviously have their rehab programmes which are tailored to them as to where they are in the injury process. I’ll either work in the gym with them, or out on the pitch, depending on which stage they’re at.”

With a few injuries currently within the youth team squad Kate talked us through the planning that goes into rehab programmes.

“We’ve had a couple of big ones this season," she commented. "You can try and plan as much as you can for you rehab sessions but one thing that's certain is that is never stays the same. You sometimes have to go back to the drawing board and change it, if needs be. 

"Obviously you have different targets and goals depending on what stage of the rehab process they’re at. As players come back to full fitness you look at cardiovascular fitness and strength, speed and power so that you are getting them back to functional fitness. 

"During the early stages you are dealing with swelling and pain so it’s a very slow and gentle build up. From there you reach the intermediate stage and you can push things on from there.”

When asked about how she is coping with the workload, she said: “It’s not too bad at the moment. I think it’s good that I work quite closely with Neil Dalton as he’s always there for any advice.

"I'm still learning, so sometimes I do have to go to him for advice, but the good thing for me is that the lads are really good at getting their work done. You know that if you have to leave them in the gym for half an hour that they'll be cracking on.”

Kate recently covered the first team home game to Notts County and said: “That was fantastic. Obviously I do help out at a lot of first team games but having to run onto the pitch for the first time was a bit of an experience. I was a little bit nervous but it was something I really I had the reassurance that everyone was there but It was good, I enjoyed that!"

And on the help she has received from head physiotherapist Neil Dalton, she said: “I can’t thank him enough. I came in as a student voluntarily and he’s the one who gave me a chance with this role. He has a massive amount of knowledge so he’s really good to talk to about anything I need to know.”