Colchester United's Young-Player-of-the-Year, Kemal Izzet, today vowed to come back better than ever after an operation to mend a twice-broken wrist he first damaged two years ago.

The midfielder is already on the road to recovery following surgery on his right wrist in a private Colchester hospital on Friday.

Izzet told the Evening Gazette: "Let's hope all my troubles are behind me now.

"I had quite a big piece of bone taken off my hip and grafted into the wrist and although I can't move it at all everything is going well.

"My arm is in a big wrap at the moment. I didn't want it to be put in plaster because my brother, Muzzy, is getting married soon and I didn't want to ruin the photographs."

Kemal, the younger of the Izzet brothers, first broke the wrist after colliding with visiting goalkeeper Phil Whitehead in a 2-0 home win over Reading - who included U's boss Phil Parkinson in their ranks - in October 2001.

Izzet played on through the pain barrier all last season after complicating the injury when fracturing it in the same place in a bizarre pre-match warm-up accident with Danny Steele at Huddersfield almost a year later.

Still in quite a bit of pain, he pointed out: "The doctors tell me the bone will quickly grow back on my hip again and I should be as good as new in two to three weeks time.

"At the moment I can't move much at all and I'm spending most of my days sprawled out on the settee getting spoiled.

"I'm due back at the hospital for a check-up in three days time, but the biggest downside for me at the moment is the fact that I can't do any of my close season fitness work.

"Once I am fit enough I will be in and out of Colchester making up for lost time."

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Published Tuesday, May 27, 2003

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