Paul Watson has been plagued by injury problems this season, which is most unusual for one of Albion's longest serving players.

But regular visits to the treatment room are, in one respect, serving a useful purpose for the Hastings-born utility player.

Once he hangs up his boots Watson wants to stay in the game as a physiotherapist.

He is already in training for the day when he can no longer play.

"It has been going on for a couple of years now," Watson revealed. "I have been doing the FA treatment of injury courses.

"I have completed the basic and intermediate versions. The next one is a two-year diploma, which ends with an intensive two weeks at Lilleshall. At the moment I have put that to one side. I just want to try and get a bit of experience by helping out Mal (Stuart) and Kim (Eaton) .

"When Kim has been off I have started helping out on a Thursday night with the Centre of Excellence.

"I would like to stay in the game, but I cannot see myself staying in it as a coach or a manager.

"I could not stand in front of some of the sort of players I have played with and tell them what to do!

"I have always been interested in the body and how it works, so it seemed a natural progression."

It will be a while yet before Watson, 29 last month, calls it a day.

Many more seasons like his unlucky 13th in professional football could, however, hasten his departure.

Tears to tendons in the arches of both feet sidelined Watson for seven weeks from the end of August to the middle of October. He has also suffered hamstring and groin trouble since then, a recurrence of the latter injury forcing him off after only nine minutes at Luton on Tuesday.

Until this season Watson's Albion career has been synonomous with reliable regularity.

Signed jointly from Brentford with Charlie Oatway, the former Gillingham and Fulham defender was ever-present when the Seagulls won Division Three.

He also missed only one League outing in each of the next two seasons in the first and second divisions.

The vast majority of almost 350 League appearances for his four clubs have been made at rightback, but that has changed recently.

Manager Mark McGhee switched Watson to the left side of a three-man midfield for the recent home game against Barnsley and he has been playing there ever since.

"I am enjoying it," he said. "Chippy (Richard Carpenter) and Charlie have got a lot of experience of playing in there, so they help me as the game goes by.

"I played in midfield against Stoke a couple of years ago under Peter Taylor I think it was, but I haven't really had a long run there.

"I used to always play in midfield when I was a kid at school at William Parker and in Sunday football.

"It was when I started at Southampton that they put me back to fullback.

"The main difference is positional sense, knowing when to push on and get into the box to support the forwards and when not to.

"It is all new really, completely different from playing at fullback.

"There is a lot less emphasis on defending. Obviously you have to track the runners, but as far as defending goes there is not much to be done, especially with Danny (Cullip) and Guy (Butters) behind you. That is a nice change."

Watson believes his revised role could have another fringe benefit.

Albion's former set piece specialist has not scored since providing a fitting finale to the Second Division title celebrations at Port Vale in April 2002.

"Now that I am playing in midfield I am trying to get forward a bit more into the box, so hopefully it won't be too long before I get another goal," he said.

Watson's latest injury is likely to rule him out at Grimsby on Saturday. At least he can treat himself!