A HOCKEY player is recovering after breaking his wrist so badly that his hand and arm were connected by a single bone.

Oxford City Stars player Jason Ikin suffered the injury on the ice when he tried to sidestep an opponent who was hurtling towards him.

The 20-year-old's wrist end up caught between his hockey stick and the other player's body and he was left with multiple fractures, snapped ligaments and tendons and damage to his nerves.

Despite the extent of his injuries, Mr Ikin, who is currently having physiotherapy, says he cannot wait to get back on the ice later this year.

Mr Ikin, a student, said: "On the day of the accident, I passed to a line mate and saw that an opposition player was coming towards me.

"I went to sidestep him but my wrist got caught between my opponent's body and my hockey stick.

"I felt my wrist break and immediately put my hand to it but there was so much adrenaline because the sport is so fast paced and it kicked in so I didn't really feel any pain until I got to the emergency department.

"My first thought when I fell was 'can I keep playing?' I just wanted to keep playing but I was taken off the ice and my wrist was stabilised in hospital."

Mr Ikin underwent a four-and-a-half hour operation in which surgeons put in screws and pins to repair his wrist as well as wires to stabilise it.

The operation, which included a bone graft, has left the sportsman with 'too many stitches too count', a 4ins scar on the top of his wrist, and a 3ins scar on the bottom.

He spent eight days in hospital and will soon have a second operation to remove the wires in his wrist following the accident, which happened in a match against the Invicta Mustangs at their rink in Gillingham, Kent.

Mr Ikin, who started playing ice hockey in 2005, said his injury, which will need another six months to recover, had attracted a fair bit of attention.

He said: "A lot of my team mates think it's pretty cool. You don't normally see an injury like this so a lot of doctors came to see me while I was in hospital and have a look at the x-rays."

Mr Ikin's hockey season is over but he has been going to watch his teammates play instead - and is eager to get back in the game.

He said: "I've been going down to every game and supporting the boys. It is frustrating to not be able to play but I am focused on getting back on the ice as soon as possible...

"I hope to be back for pre-season."