Paralysed ex-pro spotting talent in the blink of an eye

A PARALYSED former professional footballer is helping Middlesbrough scout players by rating them using a system of blinks.

Gary Parkinson was a youth team coach at Blackpool when he suffered a stroke in September 2010 which has left him with locked-in syndrome.

Middlesbrough boss and former team-mate Tony Mowbray is helping his recovery — and tapping into his knowledge — by sending DVDs of players who are then rated by the 43-year-old former right-back. One blink means the potential target is not worth a contract, four blinks mean sign him now, a club spokesman said.