Jon Whitney not focused on being a boss – just yet

As he prepares to face off with one famous former physio, Jon Whitney smiles and insists 'never say never'.

The ex-Walsall physio, revelling in his role as the Saddlers' new No.2, admires the work of Southampton boss Nigel Adkins, who brings his promotion-chasers to the Banks's Stadium tonight.

The Saints chief ditched the treatment table for the tactics board when physio at Scunthorpe to succeed Brian Laws in 2006 and has not looked back since.

Tranmere's Les Parry followed trendsetter Adkins into management when he picked up the pieces of John Barnes' disastrous reign at Prenton Park.

And it is something which Whitney considers a possibility, although he is at pains to point out he has no immediate plans to dive into management.

His whole support is behind boss Dean Smith but, after playing the role of coach, physio, motivator and counsellor during a decade with the Saddlers Whitney is too canny to dismiss it.

"Never say never, I'd never rule out anything, I always like to keep pushing myself," said the Express & Star columnist.

"All my academic qualifications have been on the medical side and I've just completed my masters at Edge Hill University so I've reached a pinnacle there.

"I've always had an input in the warm-up. The gaffer does most of the coaching but I have an input into the conditioning, the tempo, work ethic and speed, all the aspect in physiology we need to be on top of our game."

Adkins set the trend after taking over from Laws at Glanford Park, guiding Scunthorpe to promotion in 2007.

Relegation followed the next season but the Iron beat Millwall 3-2 in the play-off final in 2009 for an immediate return to the Championship.

He made the switch to St Mary's last year and they sit fifth, six points off the top two but with three games in hand.

Parry has had a tougher time at Tranmere but Whitney is not surprised by the duo's progress.

"I've seen Les a few times and Nigel used to be the goalkeeper when I was an apprentice at Wigan," he said.

"They are both really positive people and it's no coincidence they are doing well.

"They've both got a good outlook on life and that positivity is coming over in their players. Maybe in the future it's going to be a more common thing where medical staff go into management because of their man-management skills.

"Les and I have spoken several times and he says it's not that different because, as a physio, your man-management skills are so important.

"You need to get to know the players, you need to know the reason why they are not healing and it's the same as management. I know the players inside out. When the gaffer and I speak hopefully we can help the players with the bad bits.

"The best managers man-manage better than others. There's a time to blow your top and have an impact but you've got to make that impact, so we only do it when needed.

"We need to know everything the players are doing on and off the pitch. They may have a family member who has been ill, kids who are ill or they might not have had any sleep the night before.

"Very rarely is a team 100 per cent, there's always a few sniffles or kids up teething but when it comes to match day the adrenaline gets you through."

But Whitney insisted he is not eyeing a management role — or is primed to take his coaching badges — any time soon as his current job could change again at the end of the season.

"I'm just helping out until May, then we're going to see what happens. Whether I go back to a physio role I don't know — but who knows what's going to happen in May?" he said.

"It's a volatile place out there, we'll plan until May and keeping us up. That's my sole aim and as a club that's got to be our aim."

Thanks to Whitney and physio Jason Chidwick, the Saddlers have a clean bill of heath with Jon Macken expected to shake off the back spasm which kept him out of Saturday's 0-0 draw with Rochdale.

Darren Byfield is available after his comeback outing at the weekend while Argentine midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma is set for his debut.