Rangers legend Barry Ferguson has emerged as a staunch defender of sports science in football, responding to criticism directed at manager Philippe Clement.
Clement has faced scrutiny for, according to some critics, relying too heavily on the metrics and recommendations provided by his backroom medical team.
Ferguson, however, posits a nuanced view that highlights the importance of marrying data-driven insights with the intuition and experience of players. And the former Blackburn and Birmingham midfielder admits, he couldn't have played until the ripe old age of 37 without modern interventions from the medical departments at his football clubs.
He told the Daily Record: "We’ve all heard the debate over sports science and whether or not Philippe Clement has been guilty of paying too much attention to the stats and the data. Well if I was him at Easter Road on Sunday I would turn around to the same XI who started on Thursday and tell them to get back out there and go again – no matter what the laptops are saying. Wrap them up in cotton wool, give them a warm down and a session with the masseur, then roll them back out against Hibs and demand the same again.
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"I’m not against sports science. Far from it. The emergence of sports science helped me prolong my career as a professional footballer. So there is no doubt in my mind there are benefits to be had from it. But – and it’s a big but – I’ve always believed that any player knows his own body better than anyone else. The sports science is there to help get you out there on the pitch. It should never be a case of telling players not to go to their work on a Saturday afternoon. Playing football is what you are paid to do.
"Yes, use whatever tools are available to help them stay fit and as close as possible to their physical peak. But don’t decide for them if they are able to contribute or not. That would have driven me daft as a player. I always knew what my body was capable of giving.
"You should always go with your strongest possible team. If one or two of them are struggling with a slight injury then you bring them off at half-time or after 60 minutes. But in their time on the pitch, you hope they’ve been able to make an impact and put the team in a winning position."
