Nearly a month on the sidelines is likely to frustrate the majority of footballers and Leicester City’s powerful central defender, Wayne Brown, is no exception. The former Ipswich Town man is desperate to get back to action and face his former club as he explains to Soar Magazine…

“Injuries are the worst part of being a professional footballer, but you’ve just got to take the rough with the smooth. Very rarely do you go through a season without getting a knock and the older you get, the more frequently they come along.

“There’s nothing worse than being on the treatment table whilst the lads are out there knocking the ball about on the green stuff. This time around, very selfishly, two games have been postponed, so I haven’t missed out on as much as I could have.”

Brown has been vocal in the Leicester Mercury recently, urging the club to believe in their chances of promotion to the F.A. Premier League. Does this ambition stem from his time at Hull where the Tigers achieved play-off glory against the odds?

“For me, personally, ambition has always been a big part of my character. I always set achievable goals and I fully believe that with the team we have and our collective desire, we can gain promotion.”

With just three weeks left until the anniversary of his initial arrival at the club on loan, how does the 32-year-old view his past 12 months at the Walkers Stadium?

“It’s been an up and down period for me. I suffered with injuries when I joined, which were from my time at Hull and wasn’t playing regularly there, which I think showed when I started here. The high points have been promotion last season, our progress during this campaign, with a good bunch of honest players and obviously the honour of being captain, which is something I’ve been fortunate enough to do throughout my career.”

So what does 2010 hold for Wayne Brown? With it being the season for resolutions and fresh starts, has the City star made any notable changes?

“Well, I’ve grown a beard, so that’s one! But that’ll be shaved by the weekend. I’m not really a believer of resolutions, or changing who you are, but obviously the main aim of gaining promotion still remains.”

Wayne Brown will be in contention for a starting place against Ipswich Town at the Walkers Stadium on Sunday January 10th, 3pm kick off. The club have advised that the game is ON until further notice, with the pitch in good condition after the first-team squad trained on it during Friday morning. Tickets are still available from the Leicester City ticket office via ticket.sales@lcfc.co.uk.