Mowbray Hopes to Make Management Comeback in the Near Future Following Lengthy Recovery Journey

He had a significant surgery due to a mysterious illness that has required him to take several months for recovery, during which time he has been supported by his wife and family.

Mowbray played for Middlesbrough, Celtic and Ipswich Town as a defender and spoke about his time away from football, his recovery and the warm welcome from clubs in the North East. 

“I’m great, I don’t think that’s overplaying it,” he told the club’s social media. “I feel almost back to normal. I’ve still got one procedure, I’ve got a stoma bag attached my stomach that needs reversing, which I’m getting done this week. 

“Energy levels I feel are back to normal. I can tell because I’m sometimes a self-talker and I’ll say ‘shut up, you talk too much!’. I feel good. 

“It’s brilliant to be back here, just walking through the car park and seeing all the Blues fans was amazing and I had a fantastic reception. 

“I’ve been to Middlesbrough, I’ve been to Sunderland, the local clubs to where I live in the North-East, I’ve been to Newcastle as well. 

“The football world has been amazing, to be honest, the feedback I’ve had and the get well messages from all over the country have been amazing.” 

Mowbray says he plans to get back into management once he is ready which could take a number of months. 

“Every football club I’ve ever been at has been supportive, they’ve all invited me to come and watch some games. 

“I feel as if I’m almost ready, I want to go back to work sometime soon, in the next few months. 

“I appreciate I’m still a bit weak and to be a football manager you need energy, you need to be at it all the time. 

“I need to give myself a few months, probably playing golf and walking 18 holes. I’ve got three teenage boys who all play golf. 

His wife has been crucial to his health and he hopes to treat her as a way of saying thanks. 

“I’m going to take my Florence Nightingale wife away, she’s been amazing over recent months for me, the work and the help and the travelling that she’s done. We’ll go on a nice holiday somewhere and just spend some time together. 

“And after that, I hope to get back to work and do what makes me tick.”