Midfielder Flynn Downes insists there’ll be no repeat of his pre-season red card at Cambridge.
The 20-year-old had been one of Town’s best players in the 0-0 draw at the Abbey Stadium but was dismissed in the 86th minute after reacting to a reckless Paul Lewis challenge and headbutting the midfielder.
"Cambridge was a bad day for me, a bad day at the office,” Downes admitted.
"I know I shouldn’t have done that and it’s something I think I’ve worked on a lot since I was younger. I’ve got better at it I think but that was a real blip.
"I assure you it won’t happen again. It was stupid from me but — and this isn’t an excuse because I know I did wrong — I think seeing Tris [Nydam, who broke his ankle at Notts County] the week before have his leg facing the other way really hit me. It hit me hard.
"It felt like he was trying to break my leg but I took it the long way. My head was all over the gaff because I knew I’d done wrong but I can assure you it won’t happen again.
"I’ve got to make the gaffer sure he can trust me and that I won’t do stuff like that on the big pitch. I’m working on it.
"That’s my game and sometimes I do play on the edge so sometimes I can get a bit hot-headed.
"It’s a contact sport and obviously I know I can’t headbutt people but it might get a bit heated. I can’t take that away from my game but I can learn to control it.”
He added: "It’s in my head now after the Cambridge game. Sometimes you need something to happen to make it really click. It’s not happening again.”
Fortunately, the red card led to no further action by the FA and Downes has played the full 90 minutes of both Town’s games so far this season and he hopes to be involved again against his former loan club Luton in the Carabao Cup at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday, although manager Paul Lambert has said he plans to make changes.
"Of course I want to play again, especially at Luton,” said the Brentwood-born midfielder, who made seven starts and three sub appearances for the now-Championship Hatters in the second half of 2017/18 as the Bedfordshire club won promotion from League Two.
"They were good to me when I was there and I want to play. A lot of the same boys are there and I still speak to most of them. I had some big memories there and it was absolutely massive for me.
"I don’t think my mind was in the best of situations at that time so I think I needed a little change.
"Mick McCarthy knew what was right for me and I needed a little change and it really helped me start enjoying my football again.”