Centre-half Cameron Burgess says he’s quite comfortable playing while wearing the mask which protects his recent facial surgery, the 27-year-old having been one of Town’s top performers in yesterday’s 2-0 win at Exeter.
Burgess underwent surgery after he was accidentally caught in the face by Bristol Rovers sub Harvey Saunders in the 62nd minute of the 2-0 victory over the Pirates in mid-September. As a result, the ex-Accrington Stanley man now has more than 30 screws in his face which will remain there permanently.
The former Australian U23 international was remarkably returned to action as a sub at Port Vale only six weeks later but wearing the mask, which he says causes him no problems.
"I’ve worn it for a while now,” he said. "I had a bit of a hand in how it was made and where my eyesight can go to, so that’s important because it can feel like it’s not even on my face.
"After a couple of minutes you don’t even know it’s there. I was told it might be needed until Christmas time or something like that, but I don’t have any complaints because it’s comfortable.
"It was a freak injury so maybe the severity maybe hasn’t hit home yet and possibly never will, but that’s a positive because I can keep on doing my job and feel comfortable doing it.”
Reflecting on the display at Exeter, in which he played a vital role having returned to the starting XI, he added: "It was good from a defensive point of view to get a clean sheet with a solid performance.
"They are a top side but we were well prepared for what they were going to bring, so it was a pleasing result.
"It was good to be out there helping the team after a bit of time out. The competition is strong and we work hard to make sure anyone can step in at any time.
"The fans can see it’s strong and there are no dips in performance when people change, which is testament to all the boys, how they train and how they go about things.”