Newington goalkeeper Rian Brown feared the worst as he lay on the Clandeboye Park pitch for over an hour waiting for the ambulance to arrive unable to move his neck – but the only thought in his head now is about making a return to the sport he loves.

Brown suffered a heavy fall after colliding with an opposition player while collecting a cross during Saturday’s Championship clash with Ards, coming down hard on his back and neck.

The severity of Brown’s injury meant the match was abandoned after 78 minutes with the 20-year-old being assisted by medical staff from both teams while waiting on emergency services.

All sorts of thoughts rushed through Brown’s mind during that time as he was transported to hospital for scans to reveal the extent of the damage suffered.

placeholder image — Newington goalkeeper Rian Brown. (Photo by Newington FC)

Doctors have since told the talented Irish League youngster he was only a matter of inches away from paralysis, but Brown is now recovering at home from nerve and muscle damage having received a more positive diagnosis.

"It was a 50/50 ball and the player and I hit into each other, but he was still on the ground and I was off it,” reflected Brown. “I fell on my back and as I fell my neck went right back.

"I couldn't move my neck for just over 24 hours. Our physio had to hold my neck for around an hour and 15 minutes until the ambulance came.

"In my head the whole time I was thinking 'if I move my neck an inch here I'm going to break a bone'. I felt my bone was hanging on by a thread and that my spine was going to snap.

"My main thing was thinking 'what has just happened?'. I have never felt anything like the pain before in my life and I was wondering if I had just broken my neck or spine. That's what it felt like.

“I was thinking I might never move my neck again. Our physio is a doctor and was saying he didn't feel any cracked bones, so that reassured me.

"When the doctor came in and said I was a few inches off being paralysed, that was scary and your heart just drops. You don't know how to feel about it, it's just scary to think about.”

Hundreds of people associated with Irish League football have reached out to Brown and his family to send their well wishes as he starts his road to recovery.

Earlier this year, highly-rated Brown earned a move to Premiership club Crusaders and returned to Newington on loan ahead of the current campaign to gain further senior experience.

While such an ordeal could leave many with doubts about the future, Brown is counting down the days until he can get back on the training pitch and won’t allow the injury to stop him achieving his football dream.

"I've got so many messages from people...everybody has been supporting me and it's been really nice,” he added. “It has helped me a lot.

"It shows how close everyone is in the Irish League.

"This is the longest I've gone without kicking a ball in months and all I've been thinking about is when I can get back playing. I’m itching to get back and I miss it already.

"I know the first thing I should be thinking about is my neck, but sitting in bed not doing anything is killing me. I want to be back out playing and training.

"The important thing will be to put it out of my mind. When I go back to training, I'm going to try and do a load of crosses to get it out of my mind and show that it won't be a regular occurrence.

"That situation is going to happen again in games when I'm going for a 50/50 ball and I can't be scared of coming out and getting hurt. I want to get it out of my mind."