Mansfield Town hoping GPS vests can quicken Matty Blair return to fitness

The vests, which monitor every aspect of a player’s work on the pitch and training field, have been acquired in conjunction with Melton Mowbray’s Brooksby College.

Blair, out with a serious knee injury since the end of January, made a huge step forward last weekend when he played the last 12 minutes of Stags’ home 0-0 draw with Plymouth.

Said Murray: “We have acquired the GPS vests now, so hopefully we are going to start using them in games which will give us a little bit better data on matchday distances and fitness that we need to get Matty to.

“That will help our training regime for Matty and the quicker we can get him back in the better.

“I would have loved them a long time ago. We have a relationship with Brooksby College in Melton and it’s part of their equipment. They agreed to help us with and we will help them with the data we get so they can help their students with their degrees.”

On Blair’s return, Murray added: “It was brilliant. I am over the moon for him and proud of him. For a bloke like Matty to come through what he has come through and be as strong as he is, I am chuffed to bits and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

“To come back at home and to help us to carry on our home form was fantastic.

“I think out of the 72 teams there are only 13 teams that haven’t lost at home and we are one of them, so for Matty make his comeback in that little run is brilliant.

“There is no friendly game for him this week with tomorrow’s game at Stevenage. But he is doing extra work when he can.”