It is too late to do anything about it now but Christophe Berra has owned up that part of him still wishes he was doing his stuff as a striker rather than as a defender.
Berra has earned Scotland honours, as well as playing in the Premier League with previous club Wolves, as a back four performer — but he admitted: "Strikers get the headlines for their goals and if I could turn the clock back to when I was five and change anything I’d love to be a striker and score lots of goals.
"But sadly I’m not and I have to do the ugly side of the game. I was reading a newspaper interview with John Terry and he was saying that as a defender it’s a different type of pressure, more about concentration.
"A midfielder could lose his runner and there might not be anything said about it but if we, as defenders, lose a man in the box and he scores it’s totally different.
"We go into games and it’s about making sure we stop opponents. We have to concentrate for 90 minutes and if you do make a wee mistake hopefully you’ve got Lady Luck on your side and the opposition don’t take advantage, or there’s someone there to cover for you.
"It’s all about being consistent as a defender — seven or eight out of 10 every week is great, instead of being a nine or even a 10 out of 10 and then a three or four next time. I just take every game as it comes and each one has different challenges.
"As a defender you just want to be consistent, that’s the main thing. We all have ups and downs but I think over the two and a half seasons I’ve been here I’ve been very consistent.
"I think that’s the main thing as a defender and I hope to continue that. Then, when I do make little mistakes, I hope someone is there to cover and help me out. That’s part and parcel of being a defender and part of a team.”
Berra’s off-the-field demeanour appears almost at odds with his on-the-field displays when he never gives less than 100 per cent and looks as if he relishes the physical side of the game as he goes toe to toe with opposition strikers.
He added: "I’ve always been quite laid back. I don’t get carried away when things are going well and I don’t get too down if things are going against me.
"As a defender I think that’s the best way to be because just round the corner there could be a mistake and you’ll be making headlines for the wrong reasons.
"I take it all with a pinch of salt, good times or bad times. If I play well, fine, but there’s always another game round the corner and things can soon change.”
Town are back on track after a dip in form that saw them go seven games without a win, a run that saw them keep just two clean sheets courtesy of goalless draws at home to Huddersfield and Cardiff and had manager Mick McCarthy stressing that none of his defenders were above being dropped.
Berra said: "If you’re not winning and you are conceding goals it doesn’t matter who you are, there are no untouchables.
"Look at Chelsea this season, I think everyone has been dropped apart from the goalkeeper. That’s football and you’ve just got to keep your head up and carry on working, which is what I did.”