LUCKLESS York City marksman Peter Duffield's exclusively tells Evening Press sports reporter TONY CURTIS he is determined to return....

PETER Duffield has vowed he'll be back stronger and fitter than ever after suffering his third leg break in 18 months.

The diminutive striker, a favourite among the Bootham Crescent faithful, had only just got back to his best after breaking his right leg in a collision with Nick Richardson in training back in September 2001.

But his return, which has coincided which City's upturn in fortunes, has been cut short after he suffered a stress fracture on the same leg in the 2-1 defeat by Luton.

But Duffield is refusing to sit about moping and is already looking forward to a possible return for pre-season training.

"I feel positive this time," Duffield told the Evening Press. "It sounds stupid, but because I know I came back so well before, I know I can do it again.

"It was hard to take because I honestly feel that I was playing well and I was really enjoying my football.

"Initially I can't describe the way I felt when I realised it had happened for the third time, but not once has anyone mentioned that I should pack it all in."

Duffield visited a specialist on Tuesday to check the extent of the injury, and fortunately it is not as bad as first feared.

Although it is the same leg and place as before, the stress fracture is smaller and already Duffield is feeling better.

"The specialist honestly feels the leg will be better and stronger by the time pre-season comes around," said Duffield. "I've got longer than before to get better. There are seven weeks of the season left, which I've now lost, but then it is the close season.

"By the time pre-season comes around in July, I'll just be fine and then we will have three weeks of running before I even kick a ball.

"After I did my leg the second time, I really felt like packing it in but I don't feel like that this time.

"On Sunday I couldn't walk, on Monday morning I was feeling a bit better and now I can walk around the house without the crutches. I'm limping and taking it slowly, but I don't need the crutches.

"The way it has improved since it has happened is unbelievable - it wasn't like this last time.

"If it all works out okay, I'm expecting to start training with the lads for pre-season, but this time I should be fitter as I will have been training that bit longer."

Duffield has six weeks until he is due to see the specialist again, while he has a fortnight off before seeing physio Jeff Miller and manager Terry Dolan.

But the Sheffield-based star will not be wasting his time to take in the delights of daytime television.

"I've got an exercise bike in the house I can use," he explained. "It is all about how the leg feels. The specialist has said 'if you can do something and it doesn't hurt, fine, but if it hurts, stop'.

"To be honest though, the more work you can do, the better because it gets the blood circulating around the injury."

The management and players at City have instantly rallied around for Duffield, with their words of encouragement spurring him on.

"Jeff rang me on Sunday and was really positive, then the boss and the assistant boss rang later and they were positive about it all as well," said Duffield.

"The players have been brilliant. The skipper phoned up and told me that I would be back next season and that I would be brilliant.

"They all might just be being polite, but this is all what I wanted to hear - they have put me in the right frame of mind."

The injury won't stop Duffield enjoying a summer break with his family, but there will be no let up for him.

"We'll go away for a week or ten days, but I'll still be running and swimming - I won't just stop," he added.

Such dedication wouldn't go amiss on some players in the game today.

Updated: 11:46 Thursday, February 28, 2002