[h=3]Upson a mean machine for Albion[/h]3:00pm Friday 13th December 2013 in Albion By Andy Naylor
Matt Upson, Albion's Mister Indestructible
Matt Upson will maintain a remarkable record for Albion if he plays from the first whistle to the last at Middlesbrough tomorrow.
There is every chance it will happen, since the Seagulls' Mister Indestructible has played every minute of every Championship match.
That is 39 consecutive full appearances, including the play-offs, since signing initially on loan from Stoke at the end of the January transfer window last season and then permanently on a one-year contract in the summer.
Upson's achievement is all the more impressive when you consider that practically every other member of the squad has been out injured at one time or another and that, at 35 next April, he is Albion's oldest player.
Remaining wound-free is partly a matter of fortune. Some injuries, whether in matches or training, are unavoidable.
Upson's enviable run is not all about luck though. It also has a lot to do with the way he looks after himself and the experience gained by the former England centre-half during a 17-year career, most of it at top level.
Upson told The Argus: "It's been an absolute journey. You learn so much along the way.
"It's all to do with that, I think, and understanding my body and what I need from a week's training and treatment in order to be ready to play on a Saturday, which is obviously the most important thing.
"It varies on how I feel, how my body is. That gets tailored a little bit to the individual. Obviously you have a nucleus of work that the coaches and management set out but, if come the end of the game or there is a specific thing, I am old enough and experienced enough to have a conversation on the Monday or Tuesday and say look maybe this week I need to just step out and do something different.
"In all fairness to the manager he is very accomodating and understands that and manages it really well."
Original article
Matt Upson will maintain a remarkable record for Albion if he plays from the first whistle to the last at Middlesbrough tomorrow.
There is every chance it will happen, since the Seagulls' Mister Indestructible has played every minute of every Championship match.
That is 39 consecutive full appearances, including the play-offs, since signing initially on loan from Stoke at the end of the January transfer window last season and then permanently on a one-year contract in the summer.
Upson's achievement is all the more impressive when you consider that practically every other member of the squad has been out injured at one time or another and that, at 35 next April, he is Albion's oldest player.
Remaining wound-free is partly a matter of fortune. Some injuries, whether in matches or training, are unavoidable.
Upson's enviable run is not all about luck though. It also has a lot to do with the way he looks after himself and the experience gained by the former England centre-half during a 17-year career, most of it at top level.
Upson told The Argus: "It's been an absolute journey. You learn so much along the way.
"It's all to do with that, I think, and understanding my body and what I need from a week's training and treatment in order to be ready to play on a Saturday, which is obviously the most important thing.
"It varies on how I feel, how my body is. That gets tailored a little bit to the individual. Obviously you have a nucleus of work that the coaches and management set out but, if come the end of the game or there is a specific thing, I am old enough and experienced enough to have a conversation on the Monday or Tuesday and say look maybe this week I need to just step out and do something different.
"In all fairness to the manager he is very accomodating and understands that and manages it really well."
Original article
