BOLTON Wanderers resumed their Carling Premiership campaign yesterday missing a familiar member of staff.

Faz Page, the first team therapist, has left to start a new career as an osteopath with a private practice in Manchester.

He was a one-time non-league footballer of some repute in the north west.

But he's spent ten years with Wanderers starting from humble beginnings as a kit man.

"This is a full-time commitment for Faz and it means he can no longer be involved with the club," said Mark Taylor, who is Bolton's head of sport science and medicine.

"It's a fantastic story to go from a kit man and leg rubber through to an osteopath.

"It's a shame we've got to lose him but it is a great thing for Faz. He's got a five-year commitment ahead of him which shows how determined he is.

"That's a big commitment for a 22-year-old let alone someone who is twice the age."

Taylor and manager Sam Allardyce sat down with Page last week to check he wasn't having second thoughts. They received their answer in the negative.

"We always knew at some stage that people would start leaving us with the greater knowledge and greater background experience they've picked up here," Taylor told the Sunday Pink.

"We've got to accept that, but Faz has put a lot into this football club and it's nice to see we have got something out of it and so has he.

"It's gratifying to see that members of our staff are going on to different levels of education. We'd like to thank him for his hard work over the last ten years and more recently for his help in the prevention of injuries at the club.

"After all we've not kicked him out - he's got rid of us," joked Taylor. Tweet