ROVERS defender Stig Bjornebye today vowed 'I'll play again' as he bravely battles back from the serious eye injury which is threatening his career.

The former Liverpool star delivered his defiant message as he re-lived the horrific moment when he shattered his eye-socket in a freak training ground accident three weeks ago.

But as he begins the long road to recovery, the courageous Norwegian has told Rovers fans they will see him in a Blackburn shirt again after pledging to do everything in his power to make a complete recovery.

"It's a bad injury and we don't really know the full outcome as yet but I'm going to do everything in my power to improve it," vowed Bjornebye.

"I need to train the muscles back up around the eye so that it can be functional again and then, hopefully, I'll be able to play football again after that.

"So I'm certainly strong in my belief that I'll be back playing again -- and sooner rather than later."

Bjornebye was taking part in a routine training session on the eve of Rovers' game with Newcastle when he got sandwiched in a challenge with Craig Short and Alan Mahon which resulted in his hand being forced back into his face.

Initially, he was knocked out as a result of the impact of the collision but when he recovered consciousness he knew straight away

that there was something seriously wrong.

"It was just a bizarre, freak accident," said Bjornebye.

"It's a really strange feeling when you wake up after something like that and your eyes are everywhere.

"I was scared and I was concussed as well but I knew something was wrong -- I felt it straight away.

"Then a few hours later we had it confirmed by CT scan and that's when it really hit me."

Those scans revealed he had developed a hole in the floor of his eye socket which required delicate surgery to repair.

But despite the fact the operation was declared a success, he is still suffering from acute double vision some three weeks after the injury was first sustained.

And there is little he can do to speed up his recovery other than let nature take its course.

"The operation was rated as successful so that's something and I'm now focusing on the recovery time and how it will recover as well," said Bjornebye.

"The bone structure has been replaced and it's now a question of getting the muscles back working again in the way they should be.

"My vision isn't too bad but I can still see double so I'm wearing specially made glasses now to make it a little bit easier to walk around.

"I've also got a few exercises I can do and I'm just going to do everything in my power to make it better.

"The doctors can't give me a specific time-scale for returning because it depends on the individual."

"But I'm not depressed about it, you just deal with a situation like this and do everything you can to help it, which I will.

"So I'm certainly not giving up.

"I've stepped down on the pain killers and I had my first training session at the weekend so I've just got to deal with having dodgy eye-sight for a couple of months and then see how long it takes to correct itself from there."

And if he needed any extra motivation to help win his battle then it has come in the form of well-wishing Rovers fans who have bombarded the club with messages of support.

"I've had loads of letters and flowers from supporters," added Bjornebye.

"I got a very warming letter off the Jack Walker stand supporters and it just makes you want to come back even stronger.

"And what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. That's my view on it and I can't wait to get back."