BEN Goodliffe insists he will always give everything each time he steps onto the football pitch – despite his horror facial injury on his Colchester United debut.
The 25-year-old made his return to league action at the weekend after suffering a nasty mouth injury in the U’s curtain-raiser at AFC Wimbledon, last month.
Goodliffe had already scored twice prior to suffering the mouth injury on the hour mark in Colchester’s 4-2 defeat, at Plough Lane.
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It left the defender with dislodged teeth and gum fractures, resulting in him wearing a mouthguard on his return to action.
Goodliffe came off the bench to score the U’s equaliser at Accrington Stanley last weekend, in his first league appearance since his injury and says he is glad to be back.
Goodliffe said “I’ve been given the all-clear and I’m feeling good.
“It was a nasty one and the last two weeks have seen me out of action seeing specialists and doctors and dental specialists, trying to make sure I’ve got a mouthguard to be able to play.
“The dental specialists were brilliant and managed to push my teeth back in and they’re now straighter than they were before, which is always a positive!
“I think I’ve got the mouthguard for the next couple of weeks and hopefully, it settles down quite quickly.
“Every player knows their body and I know with the position that I play, I could get a knock here or there or a little niggle.
“Hopefully I can manage it well and get through certain situations, unless I’m literally told by somebody that I can’t.
“I’ll always step on the pitch and give my all, whether that’s with a little niggle or not and that’s not the first thing on your mind, when you’re playing.
“It’s about getting out there and doing the best job you can, both individually and collectively as a team.”
Goodliffe’s injury at Wimbledon came as a result of a challenge from his former Sutton team-mate Omar Bugiel but the U’s defender says there are no hard feelings.
“I know Omar very well and there was no malice in it at all,” said Goodliffe.
“He actually sorted tickets out for me for the game!
“We’ve always spoken since he moved on to Wimbledon and we’ve always kept in touch, so I know he’s not going to be that kind of person to do that.
“Unfortunately, it happened but I can’t give any bad words towards him.
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“He was probably one of the first messages I got straight after the game, sending his apologies and saying he was gutted it had happened.
“That is something that I respect the most, because everybody is on the football pitch to do their job and he’s ended up scoring, so he’s done his job whereas unfortunately, I’ve ended up coming off the worse end of it.
“But that’s football – you have to move on and I’m sure we’ll stay friends, that’s for sure.”
Goodliffe is currently League Two’s second highest scorer after scoring three times already this season.
The former Spurs and Wolves youngster is currently averaging a goal every 25 minutes but insists his full focus is on defending.
Goodliffe added: “I like to be good in both boxes and put my head in where it hurts – that’s obviously where I came off on the wrong end of it!
He added: “It’s something that’s probably one of my biggest strengths and if I can try and stick to that aerially and try and be dominant in attacking positions, then that’s great.
“But for me, the full focus is defending my box and making sure that no goals go in and I do my job to a tee and keep a clean sheet.”
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