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The prominent scar on the head. It's not the first time Iain Hume is asked about it. It won't be the last either.
But Hume, FC Pune City's striker in the Indian Super League (ISL), knows he can't duck all the questions about it.
"No, no. It doesn't irritate me when people ask about it," he says, adding, "As much as I don't like to talk about it, it's a part of my story."
There's Chris Morgan of Sheffield United. Then there's Iain Hume trying to win a ball. The elbow from Morgan lands on the skull of Hume, who goes down clutching his head back in November 2008.
That's the story of Hume's scar but there's more to it - the recovery, the ISL stints in Kerala Blasters FC and Atletico de Kolkata (now ATK) and his new club FC Pune City.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Hume, 35, talks about the other big injury, FC Pune City's first win of the season during his first appearance for the club and more...
You have said that you want to be thought as a footballer and not someone who had a brain surgery. But does it irritate you when you are always asked about the head injury you suffered when Chris Morgan of Sheffield United elbowed you?
No. It's part of life and part of my story. You can't skip a chapter in a book because you don't like the title. My career is what it is. You ask about the injury and I will tell you that it's part of me.
As much as I don't like to talk about it all the time, it's something you can't avoid. Everyone who has followed me as a fan, if they want to know about it, I would talk to them about it.
Do you still have the letters sent by fans after the injury? Where's it kept now?
I have everything back home. I have kept them on big sheets. Thousands and 1000s of letters. Fans around the country have written things for me and it's something that's part of my story.
Even in the previous ISL season, you have played with a bandage on your head. How sensitive is the scar and do you have to take care of it regularly?
No, no. 10 years have gone. It's just a scar. Last season I got it because I got squished by two centre-backs. If there's a challenge like that and I go for it, I am bound to get scratches and it's part of who I am. You do get hurt.
Coming to the ISL, FC Pune City have had their own share of problems. How was it to finally get a win in the season?
To be honest, the guys have been working hard on the off-season. Obviously, the results haven't been good and people will question that. Nothing has changed as far as we're concerned. We're working hard in the camp to be successful.
To be part of the game (against Jamshedpur FC) was great. I have been out for a long time and am finally making a comeback. More important than that were the three points that we got. We weren't lucky to get those three points, I think we deserved it.
How was it to finally return to the pitch after a nine-month injury layoff?
it was great. As a player, you get injured quite a lot. I am not new to it but to be out for nine months was new to me.
The physio and doctors of Kerala Blasters FC and FC Pune City have worked so much to get me back to shape. I still have a lot to do from what I have heard. To be back is great and to be able to contribute is good for the team.
You got injured while playing for Kerala Blasters FC and the road to recovery has taken so long with half of the ISL done for FC Pune City. You obviously were part of Star Sports panel during the ISL but what did you have to work on during your recovery period?
I haven't got much to do. It's been really hard to organise friendly matches but I wasn't match-fit anyway. Everything was pretty much protocol with regard to what I did to recover from injury. You follow the trainer and the physio.
I am just a player after all. Whenever I am coming back from injury, I leave it to the physio and doctor to handle the medical part of it.
As for me, I have done a lot of leg weights and lots and lots of running. Finally, although I wish it was sooner, I am back on the field, which was the most important thing.
FC Pune City's previous coach Miguel Angel Portugal said that you are expected to be back in December or after the New Year. Aren't you happy to be returning in November itself?
I could have (returned in December), potentially. The previous coach told me I won't be back until the New Year and he signed three players after signing me. That's understandable because he had those players match-fit. Not coming back earlier is indeed disappointing but it's football.
You have a team of 25 players and some of them are bound to get injured. Everything happens for a reason and that is what it is. The most important thing for me is that we got our first win and I am back on the field.
How has the dressing room atmosphere changed in Pune since the win?
The atmosphere, funny thing. In the entire season, it has been great. We have been working hard but were unable to get our first win. But it hasn't changed drastically. We won the first game and we know what we have to do to move forward.
The atmosphere, okay we're happy with the 3 points but we know we have to work more. No game is going to be easy for us. We have to be ready to go for the next game. The atmosphere is same what it was before that game against Jamshedpur.
You were given a lifeline by Pune but they made you their eighth foreigner. How did the club promise you playing time in the ISL?
Everyone knew about my injury. It was a matter of getting fit as quickly as possible. I signed as the fifth foreigner in the club and I was hoping to get an opportunity to play once I got match-fit. But other players were signed (after I came to Pune) and that's football.
The coach wanted players to be immediately available on the pitch. I could have been back in the middle of October. But we had players fit to play, there was no rush. It took time and everything went right and now I am match fit and will get some game-time.
Of course, losing out (Emiliano) Alfaro to ATK was a big miss because of his success last year. But it was a decision made by the club and now I am in the squad (because of that) and hoping that I can do the same things that Alfaro did last season. He was great and now he's not there anymore. I got to pick up and do what he did.
How hurt are you because of Kerala Blasters' snub this season?
It's football. Decisions are made and it can be easy or hard. They thought that I won't be fit until December or January and I understand why they did it. It doesn't make them bad.
Pune gave me the chance to come here and Kerala is doing well. It happens in football. We can't sit and dwell on the past.
Do you feel you could have signed for Pune earlier? They were chasing you for about three years...
It was always an opportunity. They wanted me when I was in Kolkata after the end of the second season. I had a great season there and I didn't want to leave. Honestly, Kerala Blasters spoke to me about returning to Kerala like it was an urgent matter.
An opportunity arose to come to Kerala and everyone knows how much it means to me. It was that kind of situation. With my injury, Pune showed a trust in what my body can do and came back to sign me in the summer. We were talking about the move and sort out what was going to happen. Now I am here and happy.
I can't say I should have signed for Pune earlier. I was always in conversation with the owners and my agent. So it was a matter of time. Now it's the time and I got the opportunity to play for the club.
What do you love most about Kerala Blasters and Atletico de Kolkata (now ATK)?
I enjoyed playing for both the clubs. The main thing that stands out is the fans and their support. You all know about the football fans in Kolkata and Kerala. Manjappada always stick with the team even if they are down. They have had hard years but the people still come to watch the games.
In Kolkata, when we played at the Salt Lake Stadium, about 50,000 people came out to watch us every game and then, during the third season, we won the league. I have been lucky to play for the two football-crazy states in the country. The main thing I like about them is the love for football.
Ferran Corominas of FC Goa and Bengaluru FC's Sunil Chhetri are catching up to you in the number of goals scored. They have 26, while you have 28. Do you think you can maintain a lead with the rest of the games left in the season for FC Pune City?
It's not about me being the top-scorer. A lot of the people on the TV put it down to that. It's not just about that. Somebody is doing that job well and that is Coro, Sunil and Miku. For me, it's not a competition to be the best goalscorer.
My aim is to be part of a great team and win games. If I score 15 goals in the season and Pune don't make it to the playoffs, it's an unsuccessful season as far as I am concerned. As much as I want to score and I love scoring, if we're not winning games, it doesn't mean anything.
I will aim to score goals and I will help the team win. But Coro has been on fire and rightfully he's the top-scorer in this season. Sunil, we know how good he was last season and how good he is now. These players are doing their job really well and I am happy for them.
We strikers love scoring goals. They are close and I will try and add to my tally when I get more game time. The world can see it as a race to be the highest goalscorer but to me, it's the race to be the most successful team.
You have asked foreigners to have an open mind while coming to India. What kinda presumptions do foreigners usually come with and what do you mean when you say open mind?
I came here because things in the UK were... what's the word.. too political. I was getting frustrated. I've played throughout my career in England before the ISL. I just wanted a new adventure. I came out during the first season and thoroughly enjoyed my time here.
You see players come out and they expect to be treated like royalty. They expect this - they expect that. And they think things here will be the same, like the rest of the world.
They come out here living off their past success of football. Some are trying to remake (rebuild) their careers. Some are at the end of their careers and don't want to go out with people thinking less of them.
So they have to come out here with an open mind. By that, I mean they should come here to be successful rather than a big paycheck or any other motive.
After the initial seasons of the ISL, you had time to go back and play in England as the ISL concluded in three months. Now that the ISL season is longer, do you believe it's good for foreigners to sign a contract for a year and play just in India?
That's what we have to do. There's no doing anything else. You sign for a full year because the season is long and because the league has expanded. It is what needs to be done.
I have said it before. At this time in Indian football, the clubs need to be signing players on two-three year contracts and achieve stability. They have been doing it with a lot of the Indian players and showing faith in them, which is the main point of the ISL anyway.
They want to increase the quality of the Indian players and they want to increase the level of the national team.
The ISL is into its fifth season and there have been many changes in it. What changes do you like about the ISL?
First and foremost, the quality of football has improved among the Indians, forget the foreigners, leaps and bounds. That's the most pleasing fact. The main aim of the league was to increase the level of football and that has happened. that's evident to everybody.
Good thing is that it's increasing every year. Everything is improving. That's huge and that's why Indian football is on the up and up.
Do you think announcing the full fixtures in advance could help teams prepare better?
Yes, it's a hard question. The last two seasons of the ISL, they have been... sort of put on hold. Last season, we had the FIFA U-17 World Cup held in India. This season, we have the Asian Cup in the UAE in January and this is a huge, huge, huge monumental occasion for Indian football.
It is easy for me to say we would love the full set of fixtures at the start of the season - and that's what everybody wants too in the leagues around the world. But the circumstances have been hard to give it out. You can complain about it.
As big as the ISL is for Indian football, the U-17 World Cup and Asian cup are more important. The fixtures have been announced until the winter break and it is what it is.
Your family and wife Christine have supported you throughout this ordeal. Are they in Pune?
They are back home. My oldest daughter has an exam in school and then when they have holidays, they will come to Pune. They will come before the New Year.
They are the reason I do everything. I have to work and make sure they have a great future. That's the main reason why I am here. I know I am all by myself. But they are around me and they support me and they push me to be the best.
