Town central defender Tommy Smith admits he shed a tear when he was told there was a 10 per cent chance his career might be over before he underwent back surgery in mid-September. Thankfully, the 26-year-old’s operation went well and he should be back in training later this month.

“It’s coming on slowly but surely,” Smith told Saturday’s Life’s a Pitch in an interview which can be found here in full (01hr 51mins 00secs). “I’m slowly stepping up the rehab every week and it’s getting there slowly.”

He says he wasn’t expecting to go under the surgeon’s knife: “I went to see the specialist, I’ve had an ongoing back problem for a number of years, just with a view to having a routine injection to settle down a disc which was inflamed.

“But I got down to the specialist and he said, ‘No, I’m cancelling the injection, you’re going to have an operation’, because the nerve had been compressed so much by the disc that it may have caused permanent damage if it wasn’t seen to very quickly.

“It was scary stuff and out of the blue as well, I didn’t expect that. I had to quickly get my head around that.

“I took myself off for five minutes, I actually shed a tear, to be honest, just because of that unknown factor, any operation is a major operation.

“He actually said there was a 90 per cent chance it would be successful. I asked him about the other 10 per cent and he said, ‘You might never play again’.

“That hit home at the time, but thankfully the operation has gone really well and since then it’s been about slowly building up the muscles and getting the proprioception back to where it needs to be.

“I’m hoping to be out on the training pitch at the end of December, but then I’ll probably need a whole mini-pre-season to get back to match fitness and be ready to play for the first team.”

During his time out Smith, who is in the dissertation year of a Sports and Exercise Science degree through Manchester Metropolitan University, has returned to the New Zealand fold: “I had a good chat with the New Zealand manager Anthony Hudson and we cleared the air really because there were a few issues previously.

“I’m really looking to be back involved. It’s a privilege and an honour every time I pull on the shirt for the All Whites and I’m really looking forward to getting back into it.”

The centre-half has previously featured for New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup and at the 2012 Olympics and he now hopes to be involved in their next 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Fiji in March, first away and then at home, and then at the Confederations Cup in Russia next summer, having first made his Town return.

“Definitely, but I need to get myself fit first and foremost and then hopefully I can get back into the Ipswich team which will put me in the New Zealand manager’s mind for the March international window and then we go from there.”

Photo: Action Images

therein61 added 17:19 - Dec 13 Be good to see you In a blue shirt again Tommy
10

BlueandTruesince82 added 17:19 - Dec 13 One of our own. See you back in blue soon Tommy
9

Kentish_Tractor added 17:29 - Dec 13 I shed a tear when I was told it was ONLY a 10% chance McCarthy's career would be over.
-6

Miles added 17:41 - Dec 13 Be good to see you back on the pitch Tommy!
8

Mark added 17:44 - Dec 13 That's a relief. With Berra likely to move back to Scotland at some point, Smith and Webster could be the central defence for years to come. Best wishes for a speedy recovery Tommy.
9

OwainG1992 added 17:59 - Dec 13 Love to see Webster and Smith as our main centre backs for the next few years. If we managed to somehow make the top flight at some point i'd back them. With Josh and Myles as full backs..how we dream!
4

ArnieM added 18:16 - Dec 13 a loaded title I think. It would look so alarming if the title had said Smith operation has a 90% success rate! These operations are regularly undertaken - so no big deal , frankly.
-4

Brownie added 19:24 - Dec 13 There are some daft comments on this site.. If I was told 10% chance of losing my career I would be worried. The article is a human interest story so it is hardly likely to headline with ' No story here' is it? Why be negative-popular player hopes to be over a nasty injury which is good for him & the club. All the best Tommy & COYB!
3

scottrock added 19:25 - Dec 13 He's Ipswich through and through and our most improved player of the last 6 years. Be good to get him back IMO.
4

Seasider added 20:07 - Dec 13 I am so glad that your op worked out ok,and hope you will be back next year Tommy. A really nice guy.
2

Dissboyitfc added 20:43 - Dec 13 Speedy recovery Tommy!
2

ArnieM added 20:48 - Dec 13 Brownie, there's a higher % of you getting run over than the 10% quoted as a POTENTIAL risk of a career ending incident from having a decompression operation. My point was simply that, the title of this article has emphasised the 10 %, when in actual fact the greater likelihood is TS will make a complete recovery - he has 90 out of a 100 chances of this positive outcome, compared to a 10 out of a 100 negative outcome. it's called giving the patient "informed consent "

-1

RaymondovicBlue added 21:14 - Dec 13 Tommy Smith is our future captain alongside Webster .... really glad that he is one of the 90% as it would have been a massive blow to him AND to us all if he's been in the 10% I'm sure we all need to get our "proprioception back to where it needs to be" - whatever that means!! Come on Tommy - have a Happy Christmas, and give us all a Happy New Year by getting fully fit ! COYB !

2

Brownie added 23:07 - Dec 13 Arnie thank you so much for the lecture on informed consent. I'll stick to my view - catchy headline & positive story. Not sure the headline is negative it just grabs the attention. Makes a change as a ITFC fan to have a remotely positive story mind you.. I'm with those who mention getting back to the things that matter like the dire state of this club.
1

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls