Sports Therapist

What the role involves

• Assess, treat and manage injuries
• Provide pitch-side first response on match days
• Run rehabilitation with the performance team

Ways in, with or without formal qualifications

Experience, knowledge and interests count in football. These routes are what people in this role commonly point to.

• Experience

  Work experience and internships

  Placements at clubs, associations, agencies and sports businesses. Often unpaid or low-paid, but the strongest way to get a first contact.

• Experience

  Volunteer at a club

  Matchday volunteering, welfare, secretary, social media or committee roles at a local club. Clubs are short of people and give responsibility quickly.

• Experience

  Fitness, gym or sports-coaching background

  Experience in personal training, other sports or fitness helps move into strength and conditioning, performance support and coaching.

Qualifications and licences

Employers commonly ask for one or more of these.

• Degree

  Sports Therapy Degree

  A degree focused on injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in sport. It is a common route into club therapist roles, particularly below the top level.

• Safety & welfare

  First Aid in Football

  Emergency and first-aid training adapted to football, from introductory courses to advanced trauma care for medical staff.

• Vocational

  Sports Massage & Soft-Tissue Therapy Courses

  Vocational courses in sports massage and soft-tissue therapy. They help people start in treatment-room support roles.

Skills and knowledge

• Injury Assessment & Rehabilitation
• First Aid & Trauma Care
• Injury Prevention
• Communication

Tools you may use

• Rehabilitation and treatment equipment
• Force plates and testing equipment

Where this role is found

• Lower-league & semi-professional clubs
• Academies & youth development
• Women's professional football

Where this role leads

• Club Physiotherapist

  Required

  A registered physiotherapist who assesses, treats and rehabilitates players.

• Head of Medical

  Required

  Leads the club medical department and sets health, injury and return-to-play policy.

Common stepping stones into this role

• Soft-Tissue Therapist (Masseur)

Pay and context by region

Illustrative estimates scaled from a UK baseline. Check local job adverts and union or association data.