With the signing of Gary Keedy in advance of the 2014 season as assistant physio, spin bowling coach and player, Nottinghamshire now have in their arsenal one of cricket's utility men.

The 39-year-old has moved to Trent Bridge from Surrey, looking to consolidate his playing career while developing further behind the scenes.

"I’m not just here to make up the numbers," said Keedy.

"Mick Newell has made it clear that they’ve identified games where we’ll travel and play on wickets prepared for spin.

"With me on the staff, it might change how teams prepare wickets to play Notts, and if I get the opportunity to play then I’d back myself and look to put in some matchwinning performances."

A movement out of a playing career into the backroom staff is fairly commonplace in cricket, but rather than coaching, Keedy instead focussed on massage tables and remedial work, and found the opportunity at Trent Bridge too enticing to resist.

"This was an excellent opportunity to come and join Nottinhjamshire as an assistant physio, and it’s something I’ve been training for for years," he said.

"It just seemed like the perfect chance. I could have hung on for another year and desperately tried to prolong my playing career but after thinking hard this was the perfect time to make this transition.

"I didn’t have any GCSEs when I left school, didn’t have any A-levels so I went to the University of Salford and asked them what it was I had to do to get on the course.

"As a mature student they took me with open arms. They told me to go and work with the Open University for two years, which got me to a level of study to do the degree.

"Its been a long process, seven years in total since first looking into becoming a physiotherapist.

"I had reservations about this position at first because it would mean almost completely finishing my playing career, but this one of the best cricket clubs in the world.

"I’ve worked at Old Trafford and The Oval, and I see Trent Bridge as one of the most recognisable brands in the world of cricket."

As well as his duties as asistant physiotherapist, Keedy will be assuming a number of spin-bowling coaching responsibilities, bringing on the likes of Sam Wood and Adam Tilcock with an aim to them breaking into Nottinghamshire's first eleven.

"It's one thing I took a lot of heart from at Lancashire, working with the likes of Simon Kerrigan and Stephen Parry, these were young spinners just making their way, and I had experience that I could pass on to them.

"Not so much the technical side, but how we developed as bowlers. You get a feel for how someone bowls, their style.

"I was lucky enough to play with Murali at one stage. He could never teach me to bowl how he does, but his experience on how to bowl on certain pitches, or at certiain players, or conditions and match situations.

"All of that coupled with a little technical stuff helped my game and that’s what I’ll be passing on to the players here."