Terry Clash Proved To Me That I'd Recovered

Terry Clash Proved To Me That I'd Recovered

- John Wragg

BEING tackled by John Terry was the moment Liam Boyce knew his career in England had finally begun.

It had looked to be over before it had started. Bought as Burton’s record £500,000 signing from Scottish Premiership club Ross County, Boyce was badly injured in the last pre-season friendly at Shrewsbury.

It was party time for the Shrews - the club open day, families were there, kids running around and a band called The One Hit Wonders were playing.

Boyce wasn’t even a one hit wonder.

He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee as he and Shrewsbury’s Toto Nsiala went for the ball.

That was July and he didn’t play again for seven months until he came on as sub against Aston Villa two weeks ago and scored.

Stronger

“I heard my leg pop. It was like a funny bone pain. After a few days I got the scan and then I knew how bad it was,” he says.

“The club had brought me all the way here and now I couldn’t even play.

“I’d never had a bad injury, when friends phoned I was in tears. My daughter would be on the bed, she didn’t know what had happened, and I’m as sad as can be and she’s climbing all over me.

“But it’s not a career-ending injury like it used to be so I had to get through it. My body actually feels stronger now.”

Team-mate Shaun Barker, who has had his own horrific injury, helped, counselled and advised as Boyce, 26, made his way back.

“I’ve gone through nothing compared to what he’s done,” says Boyce.

Both Barker and Boyce played 45 minutes in Burton’s Birmingham Senior Cup defeat at Hednesford on Tuesday.

It gave Boyce, the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership last season, another run-out having played 18 minutes at Villa Park and 19 minutes at Ipswich last week.