West Ham United are delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Collinge as the Club’s new Head of Medical.
The highly-qualified and experienced Collinge will head up a skilled sports medicine department under new manager Manuel Pellegrini.
A chartered physiotherapist with more than 20 years of clinical experience, Collinge has previously worked for a host of top-level football clubs, including Crystal Palace, Watford and Cardiff City, MLS club Montreal Impact and the Scotland senior men’s national team.
The 41-year-old is relishing the opportunity to return to the Premier League at London Stadium.
“I am looking forward to starting my new role as Head of Medical at a Club as huge and steeped in history as West Ham United,” said Collinge, who will begin work with the Club’s injured players at Rush Green on Monday.
“The start of pre-season when I get the chance to meet the staff and players cannot come around quickly enough.”
Collinge began his career as a youth-team physiotherapist with Crystal Palace nearly 20 years ago, combining his work with his studies at St Mary’s Hospital in west London.
I am looking forward to starting my new role as Head of Medical at a Club as huge and steeped in history as West Ham United
Richard Collinge
After rising to the role of first-team physiotherapist at Brentford, Collinge moved to then-Championship club Watford as Head of Medical.
He then spent two-and-a-half seasons as Head of Performance at Cardiff City, winning promotion to the Premier League in 2013, before taking on the role of Head of Medical Services at Wigan Athletic.
Following a second spell at Watford in the Premier League, Collinge led the integrated medical, sports science and rehabilitation philosophy at Montreal Impact during the 2017 MLS season.
In recent months, he has combined roles as a consultant physiotherapist at Brentford with that of Senior Squad Physiotherapist for the Scottish national team.
A fluent French speaker, Collinge is also a regular visitor to football clubs, hospitals and universities as a lecturer, presenter and expert medical advisor on a wide range of sports medicine topics.
West Ham United would like to welcome Richard and his family to the Club and wish him all the best for his career in Claret and Blue.