Stockport County Physio Rodger Wylde is prepared to go to any length to help County's players get fit - and that includes forming a rock band.

Wylde has been fixing the pulls and strains at Edgeley Park for almost two decades since calling time on a 19-year playing career in 1989.

But he ditched the medical text books for a completely different approach when he was helping ex-midfielder Tom Bennett recover from a badly broken leg in 1998.

Wylde and Bennett formed a band - and appropriately named the group Fracture.

Ten years after, and they are still going with County full-back Leon McSweeney about to stand in for Bennett on vocals at an upcoming gig.

Wylde said: "I have to create an atmosphere of hard work and enjoyment when a player is going through a recovery programme.

"Tom was recovering from a terrible break he picked up in a match against Birmingham City, and I mentioned to him I was learning the guitar so he decided to learn as well.

"At first we were going to go busking for Children in Need. But it snowballed when a supporter, music teacher John Geraghty, offered to help us learn to play.

"Club Doctor Steve Greenough is in the band now, and our drummer Keith Chadwick used to be in Northern Uproar.

"We do covers by bands like Led Zeppelin and Razorlight and play charity gigs and at the club's gala dinner.

"We got Leon involved when Tom couldn't make a gig. He's always saying he's good singer so now he's got his chance to prove it."

Wylde spent 10 years as a striker at Sheffield Wednesday before moving to Stockport's rivals Oldham where he received an offer to join Sporting Lisbon.

A year in Portugal was followed by spells at Sunderland and Barnsley before a final season at Stockport in 1988/89 kick-started his relationship with the club.

Wylde - who was voted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2006 - has seen 10 managers come and go during his time at the club.

But the former forward has survived to become part of the furniture at Edgeley Park.

He added: "Managers judge you on how quickly you get players back and how fit they are when they get back.

"And each new manager has been happy with what I have done.

"But the role has certainly changed since I was playing. When I was at Barnsley, the physio had been the groundsman the year before!"

For all the latest news on Stockport County please click here