Despite the injury that has kept him out of action for more than six weeks now and still facing a long layoff he was still in high spirits when kaizerchiefs.com spoke to him at The Village on Tuesday afternoon.

“When I come to the Village, I feel like I can just run to the field and play. I miss football,” he says with a smile.

“This is a third major injury I have had in my career. I remember back in 2006 I broke my jaw and of course in 2009 I had the thumb injury. Injury to any player is a setback.

“I am confident that I will return sooner than expected. When I return, I will not only be stronger but I will be better. I always push myself to the limit and that is what I plan to do in the next couple of weeks,”

“I started my rehab today working with the Club’s medical team. The guys have done a fantastic job to the other players in the past where some of the guys have returned to the pitch earlier than expected.

“Looking at the rehab programme – it is going to be a long eight weeks but I am determined to follow the programme as outlined by the Medical Team.

Recently appointed as Captain, Itu said he is yet to get used to his teammates calling him ‘Skipper’; “It is such an honour. I must admit I have not yet got used to it. I think it will only sink in when the band is on my arm and leading my teammates to the pitch.

“I want to bounce back from injury and help contribute to the Club’s objective this season; to bring the league title to Naturena. We are still on track despite not winning our last two games.

Thomas ‘Rambo’ Sweswe who Itu calls, ‘Inja enkulu’ interrupted the interview; “All is going to be ok boy. I wish you a speedy recovery,”

“This is a kind of support I have been getting from my teammates, the Management and everyone associated with the Club. It feels good when your own teammates show that they care.

Khune singled out his long time friend and teammate, Thela Ngobeni as a pillar of strength; “He has been fantastic. He picked me up from the hospital and took me to his house so I have been staying with him ever since. He has been babysitting me and doing the run around and chores in the house. We come a long way since our days in the development Academy.

The injury has also allowed ‘SpiderKid’ to catch up with Playstation; “I beat Thela every day. He is still determined to beat me though. He tells me that staying with him has allowed him to play the game at the highest level. We also listen to lots of music and we recently bought a Trey Songs CD. I am just grateful for the support from Thela and everyone at Chiefs Village.

KAIZERCHIEFS.COM: What do you want to say to the fans? “I have missed you so much. We have tough games coming up against SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns; go out and support the boys. It is important that we close the year on a high.

I read on our media platforms that our Marketing and Public Relations Team has also organised activities off the field; The Amakhosi Vibe Campaign. Let’s go all out to support this initiative. We love you – love and peace,”