Premier League star with Moynalty connections fronts new back health campaign

Stoke City footballer Rory Delap, who has strong family connections in Moynalty, is the face of a new health campaign highlighting a poorly understood condition which can affect the lower back. The former Irish international, renowned for his devastating throw-ins, has launched 'Back in Play', a Europe-wide campaign raise awareness of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). "Most football fans will not have heard about AS, yet statistics show that up to 1 in 200 will have it," Delap commented. "It is understandable that some of the symptoms like lower back pain are often written off as a sports injury or bad posture; however, there are some key subtleties such as the pain getting better with exercise and painful, red eyes, than can indicate AS. Test your throw-in skills and check out the symptoms at the same time." Delap, whose flexibility and back strength is key to his enviable skill, believes Back in Play can help raise awareness of this relatively unknown condition and its symptoms. Most common in young men, AS is a type of inflammatory arthritis. The symptoms, typically low back pain and stiffness, can be subtle and are often overlooked or confused with sports injuries or common back pain, meaning it can take as long as three to 11 years to be accurately diagnosed. AS symptoms typically start in the late teens and early 20s, causing severe, chronic pain and discomfort. The campaign kicked off with the launch of the Back in Play website - www.back-in-play.com - which features an addictive football game with a competitive European league, to test a player's throw-in skills whilst highlighting the symptoms of AS than can differentiate it from other back pain. Visitors to the site can also watch a throw-in masterclass from Delap, review a symptom checklist compiled by ASIF, find out more information about the condition through patient and doctor interviews and explore links to patient support groups. Delap's mother, Maureen Clarke, is a native of Moynalty, where his uncle, Ciaran, and cousins still live. He has visited the village in the past, and it is no surprise that he is promoting health issues as his grandmother, Mrs Clarke, was the maternity nurse in the district for many years. The midfielder has been ever-present for Stoke City over the past two seasons, and his long-throw exploits have established him as one of the Premier League's most talked about players. The 33 year-old first joined the club in October 2006, on loan from Sunderland, but broke his leg on his home debut. The Welsh native has also played with Carisle, Derby and Southampton.