As a sports injury specialist Heather Pearson is renowned for resolving severely chronic and complex football injuries and getting players back on the pitch in record time. Heather has earnt herself a nickname “the magician” as she is known for ‘fixing’ the ‘unfixable’.
Since 2004, Heather Pearson has worked with countless football players of all levels from amateur to professional while consulting on strength and conditioning (S&C), sports nutrition, sports injuries and sports psychology.
Heather teaching ART® to Tottenham Hotspur FC physiotherapist at White Hart Lane stadium and also teaching ART® to Everton FC physiotherapist
In 2011 Heather delivered a presentation to Tottenham Hotspur FC on behalf of Active Release Techniques® (ART®), a US company that founded an advanced soft-tissue treatment used in elite sport. After Heather negotiated a 3-year contract for ART®, she taught the 1st team and academy team medical staff at Tottenham Hotspur FC for 5 years during official ART® courses at their White Hart Lane stadium. Heather also attended regularly to teach 1st team medical staff at their training facility in Chigwell and then Enfield.
During the same period Heather taught ART® multiple times to the 1st team and academy team medical staff at Everton FC, at their Goodison Park stadium.
Heather with former West Ham FC Women footballers Erin Simon and Brooke Hendrix and with Tom Cairney, midfielder and Captain, Fulham FC
Fulham FC requested Heather to work with them in 2017 via Dr Eric Serrano, an esteemed medical doctor in the US, where she regularly attended their training ground at Motspur Park.
In 2019, English Premier League football players Erin Simon and Brooke Hendrix were referred to Heather via a football/soccer colleague during their time at West Ham FC Women. Heather worked closely with both players with their injuries, sports nutrition, S&C and sports psychology. In March 2020 both players left West Ham FC as they were recruited by the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the USA - Erin went to Houston Dash FC and Brooke went to Washington Spirit FC. Heather continued to work with Erin via Zoom until shortly after her team won the Challenge Cup in May 2020.
During the 2004/2005 season Heather joined Harrow Borough FC (step 3) assisting their club physiotherapist working under Manager and ex- professional footballer, David ‘Owsy’ Howell (Birmingham City FC). Heather assisted with sports injury treatment, pitch-side duties and screening players and she also helped to train the whole squad pre-season with fitness workouts and mobility work.
Hanwell Town FC 2012/2013
In the 2006/2007 season Heather was poached by Hanwell Town FC (step 3) to work as their 1st team sports therapist. Heather was involved with pitch-side duties at games, injury diagnosis and rehabilitation, screening players, giving nutrition advice, strength and conditioning programmes and training the team pre-season with fitness sessions and mobility work. At the end of the 2012/2013 season Heather retired from working in non-League football. During her years at Hanwell Town FC, Heather worked alongside various ex-player managers including: Chris Boothe, Keith Rowlands and Ray Duffy.
During her years in non-League football Heather worked pitch-side for various teams at numerous cup finals and filled in for other physiotherapists at several other non-League clubs.
Ex-professional footballer Luke Webb (Arsenal FC/Coventry City FC) was a patient of Heathers’ in 2010. During this time Luke applied the knowledge he learnt from Heather of dietary regimes, mobility work, strength rehab exercises, strength and conditioning (S&C) and nutritional supplements. Upon seeing results with his own health, strength and fitness, he applied the same to his 1st team football squad at Bradfield College, Reading.
Heather lecturing on sports supplementation and teaching S&C
to Bradfield College 1st XI squad
After two years Luke and Heather developed a strong working relationship and soon after Heather started working with the 1st team squad at Bradfield College as well as working with individual players at her West & East London clinics. In 2013 Luke asked Heather to write an S&C programme for his team. Subsequently, Heather wrote a 4-month periodised S&C programme finishing the week prior to pre-season. That season they won the league, unbeaten.
Alongside Luke’s highly successful football programme, Heather continued to write S&C programmes as well as work pitch-side at games, deliver ad hoc presentations to the team at Bradfield College and attend their pre-season tours in Europe. During these, Heather lectured on all aspects of sport; prevention of injuries, recovery methods, sports psychology techniques, glute rehab strength exercises, nutritional guidance, sports supplementation, brain recovery and mobility work. She also treated and screened injured players and performed pitch-side duties during games.
Boodles ISFA Cup winners 2017/201
Bradfield College
After Heather joined the team they won the league five years in a row, unbeaten. At the end of that very successful 5-year period, Bradfield College won the very prestigious ISFA cup at Milton Keynes FC, stadium MK. Many players at Bradfield College who Heather has worked with have gone on to play professional football including Marco Micaletto, Columbus Crew FC, USA; Max Hemmings, Galway United FC, Ireland; Ed Cook, Burnley FC; Jacob Roddy, Charlton Athletic FC.
Although Heather retired from working with the team in 2020, she is still working with Marco Micaletto as well as individual players at Bradfield College alongside Luke Webb and his very successful football programme.
Football at Bradfield College has become known as development, academy type football although not within an actual academy and their first XI squad has become the most elite U18s schools football team in the UK whilst also competing with category 1 professional academies.
In 2018 Heather was asked to work with 30 player football squad at Florida Southern College, Florida, USA (Division 2). For that week, Heather lectured the team on food for sport, sports nutrition supplementation, mobility work, sports psychology techniques and posterior chain rehab strength exercises. She also worked on a few injured players with treatment and rehabilitation exercises.
Heather with Henry Phillips - midfielder FSC, ex-Bradfield College and with Head Coach Ashley Holmes and the coaching staff
Heather still liaises with Florida Southern College British head coach Ashley Holmes, writing S&C programmes and providing general advice for the team and individual players.