Mark Leather - Academic Staff

Mark is the course leader of MSc Football Medical Leadership Performance and MSc Football Science and Rehabilitation. He is a HEA Teaching Fellow and works with professional bodies such as the FMPA helping with educational strategies and content. He is also an External Examiner at the University of Essex. He teaches primarily on the postgraduate courses and has a keen interest with 3rd Year Bsc Sports Therapy Dissertation supervision.

Mark has published a number of papers working with his Masters Students and Academic colleagues here about Elite Sport and Football, in particular. He aims to promote applied research in context to the world of football with a vocational slant to his passion.

Mark Leather qualified as a physiotherapist in 1983 where he spent 4 years in the NHS before moving into professional football. He spent over 10 years in the FA Premier League including 6 years as the Head Physiotherapist for Liverpool FC whilst he dedicated over 20 years working as a Head Physiotherapist for Sunderland FC, Preston North End, Burnley, Brighton and more recently, as Head of Performance and Medicine at Bolton Wanderers.

Away from professional football, he has also worked as the Head Physiotherapist at Wigan Warriors RLFC and worked at the Commonwealth Games in 1986 and the World University Games 2007. He was formerly the Physiotherapist for the England Futsal Team, lectured for the Football Association and has acted as a Consultant Physiotherapist for IPRS a leading company in injury treatment and prevention services.

Following a previous successful spell in higher education at Edge Hill University, Mark has taken a role here as a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of our MSc Football Science and Rehabilitation programme. He is also Course Leader for the new MSc Football Medical Leadership & Performance programme.

Alongside this, he is the Director at Mark Leather Physiotherapy Ltd and a guest columnist for the Daily Mail and The Times newspapers commenting on sport related injuries. He is also Chair of Governors at Bentham Community Primary School.