Heroic Rabbitohs star Sam Burgess on the mend after surgery to repair cheekbone and eye socket

SAM Burgess was recovering in hospital on Wednesday after undergoing a five-hour operation to repair a fractured cheekbone and eye socket.

Sam Burgess during the 2014 NRL Grand Final between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium .Picture Gregg Porteous

RABBITOHS hero Sam Burgess - or ‘Clive’ as he wants to be known - was recovering in hospital on Wednesday after undergoing a five-hour operation to repair a fractured cheekbone and eye socket.

Club boss Shane Richardson said Burgess’s facial surgery was more complicated than expected with the big Englishman having four plates inserted to repair the damage.

Richardson visited Burgess in hospital on Wednesday and said: “He is in quite good spirits.

“We just have to wait and see now when they let him out but the operation was a success.

“It was fairly complicated. It took about five hours. But it is now just a matter of waiting to see how long before he can get out of hospital.”

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South Sydney's Sam Burgess at half time during the 2014 NRL Grand Final.

Star owner Russell Crowe tweeted on Wednesday about the Clive Churchill Medal winner’s condition and his new nickname.

“Sam Burgess update. Complicated surgery. 4 plates. Insisted the nurses called him Clive. Hahaha the sparkly eyed man. What a champion.” Crowe wrote.

Burgess played the entire game with the injury after a sickening head collision with Canterbury’s James Graham in the opening tackle of the game.

But the fact he played on has raised plenty of debate given the NRL’s though new stance on concussion in 2014.

When he was asked about his brother George’s match-turning second half try in the grand final, Sam told 2KY’s Big Sports Breakfast: “I was a bit dazed during the game, I don’t remember too much of it”.

Burgess is expected to be sidelined for around two months before he kicks off his rugby union career back home in England.

Originally published as Heroic Rabbitohs star Sam Burgess on the mend after surgery to repair cheekbone and eye socket