Scalded Stopper Jack Has One Hand On An Incredible Return

It’s certainly even more of an issue when you’re a goalkeeper.

Not that Farnborough’s Jack Turner was thinking too much about football in the aftermath of his horrifying hospital dash earlier this month.

Almost destroying both hands and his forearms, the heating engineer was worrying more about having a normal life again - not the National League South.

But just weeks after it looked like his hands were falling off, life is looking a lot better for the dad of two.

Currently on his seventh anniversary holiday after escaping Salisbury hospital, one of the best keepers outside of the pro game is close to a remarkable recovery.

He has the perfect excuse to dodge the mid-summer runs that even the glovesman have to endure when the team returns to pre-season next week.

But under a month on from his friends, family and fans fearing he may never play again, he has vowed to be ready for when the friendly games start.

He told us: “I was working on a few cylinders when a live isolation valve failed on me - it burst and 80 degree water under 2.5 bar pressure was coming out.

“I tried and tried to fix the valve live and kept at it until I did. In hindsight, I should have walked away but adrenaline was pumping.

“When that stopped, the pain I suffered will haunt me for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

Goalkeepers rarely peek before they have reached ten years between the posts so the 30-year-old naturally soon started thinking about next season.

Someone also had to tell Boro boss Spencer Day what was going on.

“It was pretty scary considering when I first went hospital and I mentioned I play in goal the doctor said can forget about that this year,” he said.

“But somehow and in someway my body has recovered ridiculously quick and I’m back to full fitness now which is quite insane.

“The gaffer didn’t panic. I didn’t give him too much information until I knew if I could go on holiday or not - because if I couldn’t go on holiday then I would have been able to start pre season!

“But once I got the green light I told him I would be 100 percent fit which at the time was a little lie because I wasn’t sure within myself!

“But now I can’t believe how strong and back to normal my hands and arms are.”

Jack says he couldn’t have done it without wife Vicky who has her hands full looking after the kids.

Now he wants another season of progress for Farnborough.

“The expectation and mind set in the changing room needs to be that we must finish higher than last season and push on,” he added.

“This league this season is going to be the hardest yet with some massive clubs and players joining this league. Hopefully we can just stay under the radar and just keep progressing and get to where we know we should be.”