Keith is currently the Head Strength & Rehabilitation Coach at Sunderland AFC, working across first-team performance and return-to-play. Over the past decade he has worked in elite sport environments including Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Hartlepool United and a period within rugby league at Newcastle Thunder, supporting players through strength development, load management and rehabilitation. Keith’s approach is grounded in balancing performance and availability. A big part of his role involves integrating gym and pitch work so that strength supports the game rather than competing with it. He is also currently completing a Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Birmingham, researching end-stage rehabilitation loading and return-to-play decision-making in elite football. That work has shaped how he thinks about micro-dosing strength; distributing smaller, high-quality exposures across the week to maintain key qualities while managing fatigue in busy schedules. Ultimately, Keith is motivated by helping players train consistently, return robustly from injury, and sustain physical standards across a long season.
