SHE is a familiar face to local football and rugby players on the sidelines when things go wrong, but on Saturday sports therapist Kate Cady’s skills were called upon to guard the well-being of some of the biggest names in football.

The Back 2 Fitness Sports Therapy Clinic mastermind journeyed to Old Trafford on Saturday to oversee the Match for Children in aid of Unicef where she came face to face with David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson during her duties.

The charity match was organised by Unicef to raise money for needy children across the globe and saw an all-star Great Britain and Ireland team made up of the likes of Beckham, David Seaman, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Michael Owen.

Kate was called in to provide relief to the opposing Rest of the World team which featured Ronaldinho, Dwight Yorke, Fabio Cannavaro and Edwin van der Saar. Former France international Zinedine Zidane was due to captain the team, but was forced to drop out in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Returning home to Old Trafford saw Beckham lead his team to a 3-1 victory, and despite working for the opposition, Kate couldn’t resist the opportunity for a quick picture with the former Manchester United champion who thanked her for her work.

She said: “It was a bit mad - I have been a big football fan since I was 11 and I used to watch these players. It was very surreal and I don’t think it has sunk in yet, but it was one of the best days of my life.

"There were 76,000 people there – it was a complete sell-out.”

The sports therapist, who as well as running her own business, is a senior lecturer at Gloucester University and looks after the Swindon Town Youth Team as well as numerous other local football and rugby teams and works with the under 16 England Ice Hockey team.

Her services at Old Trafford for the charity match were called upon by former England national team masseur Steve Slattery, and she provided some soft tissue work and a few strappings.

She said: “It was quite amazing to see how they prepare for a big match day

“I was nervous as I walked out – but as I sat down on the bench I was like, this is really cool.

“When you watch players that used to be so brilliant – and still are – flicking balls around you are thinking, you guys are just brilliant. It was quality.

“At the moment it is as if it didn’t happen these things tend not to come along very often but it is worth all the late nights and all the work I have put in.”