Set in Stone

Mike Stone spent ten years as Manchester United's club doctor during a golden era which included the 1999 Treble success. This is the story of a lifetime in medicine and a near 30-year career working in elite sport, not just at United but at the English Institute of Sport working with Olympic athletes, the England cricket team and Birmingham City. Mike was at the centre of many huge stories at United: the knee injury that delayed Ruud van Nistelrooy's move to Old Trafford, Rio Ferdinand's missed drugs test, the Beckham boot incident, Wayne Rooney's fractured metatarsal and the story of his own sacking. He gives his insight on these high profile moments but also looks at how sports medicine has evolved over the years and the many improvements that still need to be made. Amid the serious medical matters that were part of his daily life, there is no shortage of humour from a man who was compared to George Galloway by England's Barmy Army and nicknamed 'Harold' (Shipman) by Freddie Flintoff. Set in Stone is a frank and fascinating account of the pressures of elite sport and a must-read for anyone interested in the medical care of elite athletes.