Man Utd confirm hiring of new head of sports medicine just months after leaving Arsenal following 14-year stint
MANCHESTER UNITED have confirmed former Arsenal doctor Gary O’Driscoll will join as the head of sports medicine at the club.
O’Driscoll spent 14 years at Arsenal before opting to leave the Emirates in the summer and has now made the switch to Old Trafford.
The United medical department has come under scrutiny in recent months amid the club’s injury crisis.
Nine of the 12 players absent for United’s midweek Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich were injury-related.
The Red Devils confirmed O’Drsicoll’s arrival on their official club website.
United say O’Driscoll, who has also worked with the Ireland rugby union team and the British and Irish Lions, grew up in Manchester and is a lifelong United fan.
The medical expert will be known to Arsenal fans as he appeared in their All or Nothing documentary with Amazon.
During his time at the Gunners he was seen holding medical briefings with Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff.
Former United doctor Steve McNally left the club midway through last season and Jim Moxon had been the club doctor in the interim.
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McNally took over as the United doctor in 2006, replacing Mike Stone after he clashed with Sir Alex Ferguson over Wayne Rooney‘s recovery from a fractured metatarsal on the eve of the World Cup.
O’Driscoll will be looking to make an impact at Old Trafford – with United having lost three of their five opening games in the Premier League this season.
United will return to the Premier League this weekend after their 4-3 defeat against Bayern to take on Burnley at Turf Moor.