WARNING: This article contains images some readers may find distressing
Tuesday 23 June 2020 07:18, UK
The head injury suffered by Blackburn's Corry Evans in January has been likened to the impact of a car accident or being hit in the face with a hammer.
The Northern Ireland international midfielder scored and produced a man-of-the-match performance on his return to action in the 3-1 win over Bristol City on Saturday, leaving Rovers a point away from the Championship playoffs.
Evans' injury occurred during the first half of Rovers' 1-1 draw at home to Preston on January 11 when he was accidentally kicked in the face causing a fractured skull and shattered eye socket.
"The first week back in training, one of the boys tried flicking the ball over my head and the ball hit me in the face," Evans told Sky Sports News of his tentative return.
"It hit me right up the nose. I had watery eyes but it was a good little tester!"
It was that moment that helped the 29-year-old ease into normality which culminated in his first outing in five months on Saturday.
"People kept asking me if I will be able to play again, how can I head a ball or go up for challenges, but I was reassured by the surgeon.
"You still have that doubt in the back of your mind but thankfully I've built my confidence back up."
Evans was told early that the impact of the injury, although gruesome, would not threaten his career.
"They said they see a lot of these injuries with car crashes, falling off scaffolding, or being hit in the face with a hammer.
"It was quite scary at the time but it was a great feeling to get back into the pitch. I was lucky it wasn't my legs injured so I could keep fit.
"It was nice to get on the scoresheet, even though it may have been a cross!"
It could be a season of playoffs for Evans, his return a timely boost for the next Northern Ireland manager ahead of their Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina in October.
Premier League promotion is the immediate priority however, with just three points separating sixth and 12th.
Any playoff success would mean a meeting next season with his brother, Leicester defender Jonny.
"It's too far ahead for talk of that!" says Corry. "It would be nice, we haven't actually played against each other for clubs.
"It would be nice to come up against him one day and hopefully that can be next season.
"We have eight big games left, there are some difficult ones along the way but we're all confident we belong in and around the top six."
