Timothy Castagne still fearless despite injury that was 'very close' to changing his life

Timothy Castagne approaches every match as if “nothing bad is going to happen” in spite of the injury that nearly ended his career.

The Belgian full-back is in the City line-up again after operations on his thigh and shoulder, but it was the fractured eye socket he suffered at last summer’s European Championships that nearly changed his life. A nasty clash of heads in Belgium’s opening game with Russia left Castagne needing a six-hour surgery. Medical professionals said that had the impact been just a few millimetres higher, the full-back may have lost his eyesight.

Despite that, he goes into every game as if he cannot come into harm's way. That’s something he admits is perhaps not the best approach, but believes it has helped him to progress.

Asked how close the injury was to changing his life, Castagne said: “Very close. I didn’t realise it was so close in the moment. Now I’m just happy to be able to play.

“I’m a very positive person, so I don’t look at it that way (changing my mentality). I just keep playing. For me, nothing bad is going to happen. It’s not always the best mentality, but it helps me go forward.

“I thought it would (make me tentative), but I wasn’t that scared to go into duels again. It’s been good so far.”

With Castagne fit again, City have the luxury of the Belgian being available at the same time as James Justin and Ricardo Pereira, a rarity during the past two years with all three suffering their own issues. Castagne and Justin have currently got the nod.

"It's great for the team,” Castagne said. “When we have games every three or four days, it helps a lot. It's always better to have some fight for the position because it brings out the best of you. It's not like it's a negative fight, we all like