The night that Dan Seaborne was attacked and left for dead outside a Southampton nightclub may have proved too much for many to come back from.

On a life support machine for ten days, the biggest concern initially was whether Seaborne would recover at all, let alone resume his career in professional football.

Slowly though, through sheer power of will, the big defender fought his way back into the game.

What Seaborne didn’t realise was that his inspirational story was helping to drag someone else back from a similarly dark place.

On the same night that he was assaulted, fellow reveller Emma Townley was raped just hours after being in the same club where Seaborne lay stricken on the pavement outside.

As Seaborne consequently battled through his recovery, Emma’s friend Mat Guy, a football blogger and fanatic, was following his progress. Desperate to help his friend get over her ordeal, and realising the parallels between their horrific experiences, he introduced her to Seaborne's story.

Now Mat has written a book entitled ‘Another Bloody Saturday’, which devotes a chapter to this incredible tale of a friendship that blossomed from the separate ordeals the pair suffered on that horrific night, and how Seaborne's determination helped to bring his friend back from the brink.

Seaborne, in typically self-effacing style, takes little credit for Emma’s recovery.

“Obviously you don’t ever want anything bad to happen but sometimes a good experience can come out of a really bad thing,” he said.

“That’s what happened for the both of us.

“Mat really helped her through, and they contacted me after I got back fit and playing at Southampton to ask if I would be up for meeting her.

“Ever since then we’ve been close. She’ll come to games and has become quite a big fan of every team that I’ve played for.

“I didn’t really do anything that I know of, I just tried to be there for her and help her through a difficult time. She’s a really nice girl and she’s put a very brave face on what’s happened to her.

“That was quite a big turning point for her, looking at me being down and out and not being able to play and then getting back to playing in the first-team inspired her to come out of her shell and try to recover instead of being a recluse in her room.

“She’s a lot better and the bubbly character that everybody knew before I knew her has come back again.

“It’s amazing to have helped her."

Incredibly, Seaborne says that he holds no animosity over the attack that threatened to end not only his professional career, but his life.

He said: "I’m not bitter about the stuff that’s happened to me, I believe everything happens for a reason and it has made me a better person coming back from it.

“My career was at a higher level when I was in England and the injuries affected that. But I feel I am a stronger and a better character around people now, in the dressing-room and in family life. What happened has helped me in that way.

“I am very committed outside of football in different ways and want to look after my family as well.

“What happened has taught me a lot, it really has. When something like that happens, it opens a door and hits you on the face.

“But the fact it has helped make Emma an awful lot stronger is even more worthwhile. She’s come back from that awful experience and cut out a really good life for herself.

“Emma really helped me along too. She has been an inspiration to a lot of people but most of all myself. She probably didn’t realise it at the time, she kind of felt that I was helping her.

“We’ve obviously got these experiences still in our heads so it really helps me to reflect on by knowing that some good has come of it in some way.

“I hope the book helps other people too. I’ve always been a really open person and would help anyone that I could, I’m sure Emma would be the same now by sharing what we went through together.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of people who have been affected by things and have never spoken about it, so hopefully people will take strength from it.”