Former Fleetwood Town striker reflects on his battle back to full fitness

Burnley-born Seddon, who partnered Jamie Vardy up front as Town climbed into the Football League eight years ago, is reliving his happy days at Highbury in a series of articles for The Gazette.

But they weren’t all good times for the 40-year-old, who suffered a blood disease which threatened his life as well as his football career before he joined Fleetwood.

Here Seddon recounts his up-and-down career before that fantastic Fleetwood chapter ...

He said: “I’d signed for Wigan in my teens as an apprentice, but late in my apprenticeship, I broke my sternum in a tackle and tore a lung as well.

“I was injured for nine months and wasn’t fit enough to sign for any club after finishing at Wigan.

“A friend of mine was in the RAF and said I should join as it was an opportunity to travel the world and still play football.

“I joined as a PT instructor and still played football at weekends.

“I loved it and the fact I was so fit really helped my football. There was interest from a lot of clubs and I ended up signing for Everton, who bought me out of the RAF.

“I played in a match for Everton reserves and was seen by the Bury manager Andy Preece, who took a chance on me.

“I was 21 at the time and I had two good seasons with Bury, where I was top scorer, but then was injured in my third season and left the club.

“I signed for Rushden and Diamonds, who were in League One at the time, but I couldn’t get over the injury I’d picked up at Bury, which affected my back.

“I didn’t play for a year and had loads of tests – for everything from leukaemia to HIV – until it was diagnosed as a blood disease. I had to retire and that was my dream gone by my mid-20s.

“I wasn’t sure I would even live at one point, but once it was correctly diagnosed, I started to get over it.

“The blood disease is called spondyloarthropathy. What happens is that your body attacks your joints and causes arthritis.

“It was a relief to find out what it was but I had to retire because I couldn’t jog and could hardly walk.

“I slowly started to get better, and by 26 I felt fully fit and wanted to get back into football. After being told I’d never play again I wanted to give it my all.

“I joined Hyde United and had a really good spell. I scored 62 goals in 87 games over two seasons, won the Golden Boot for Conference North, both years played for England C.

“Kettering bought me for £50,000 in 2008 and again I was top scorer in my first season.

“We were in the Conference Premier and Fleetwood were a league below, but we played them in a cup competition and then Andy Pilley (Fleetwood chairman) signed me.

“I loved Kettering but this was a chance to move back up north. After meeting the Fleetwood chairman I could see the aspirations of the club.

“Andy Pilley is still a good friend to this day and he always makes me so welcome at the club.”