Tristan Nydam is excited to have the chance to finally get his Ipswich Town career back up and running after three tough years.

The 21-year-old's appearance from the bench in yesterday’s 0-0 draw with MK Dons was his first for the club in exactly two years, with the vast majority of that time spent recuperating from a nasty broken ankle, suffered in July 2019.

Nydam’s 2018/19 season was a write-off, too, with a fruitless loan at St Johnstone stalling a career which looked to be going places following an impressive breakthrough the previous season under Mick McCarthy.

East Anglian Daily Times: Tristan Nydam, back after missing first team action for two years, through injury.Tristan Nydam, back after missing first team action for two years, through injury. (Image: Steve Waller)

That all means it’s now nearly three years since the midfielder was truly involved with the Town first-team, with the academy graduate delighted to be back.

“It’s great to be back after so long out,” he said.

“I’ve been working towards this for a long time so to finally get back out there is great.

“My last game before this was my first game of that season (at Brentford on April 10, 2019) and three years ago was really the last time I was involved with the first-team.

“There are seven games left and hopefully I can be involved in them as much as possible. I just want to be playing games.

“It’s about overcoming challenges and how you focus going forward. Everyone goes through bad times but hopefully I’ve overcome it and can move forward now.”

He continued: “It’s been tough, not just physically but also mentally as well.

East Anglian Daily Times: Tristan Nydam bumps fists with the officials, after his first game back in the first team after an absence of two years.Tristan Nydam bumps fists with the officials, after his first game back in the first team after an absence of two years. (Image: Steve Waller)

“It’s been a long recovery but it all leads to this and I’m glad to be back. Of course some part of you, maybe 10%, worries that it might not happen for you but the medical staff have all been superb for me.

“BY (Matt Byard, physio) and his team have been superb as well as Bryan (Klug) and Kieron (Dyer) who have both helped me. The new gaffer, too, has been great. My family and friends have all been brilliant and my team-mates have been so supportive.

“It’s been a long road but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

Nydam’s return saw him quickly involved in the game, both on and off the ball, with the 21-year-old now surely in the frame for a start, either at Wimbledon on Tuesday or Charlton on Saturday.

“I like to get on the ball, that’s part of my game as well as tenacity, and I thought I was able to do that once I got on,” he said. “I just went out there and tried to do what I could.

“A lot of people might worry I’m scared to make a tackle and things like that but that’s not in my head at all.

“It’s up to me to keep working hard and show the gaffer what I can do.”

Asked how the players have handled a dramatic week at the club, as it was sold to American investors, Nydam said: “The boys have just got on with it.

“We’ve focussed on the game and it’s not something we’re talking about. I’ve not heard anyone discuss it really.”