Brighton defender Shane Duffy reveals he almost died after he sliced his liver in a freak training ground accident... And took a year and a half to recover

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After experiencing a collision similar to that of Shane Duffy's at just 18 years old, many people would be lucky to even be alive, let alone still playing football for a living – the very sport that nearly cost the Brighton defender his life.

After receiving his first call-up for Republic of Ireland as a teenager in 2010, Duffy's career was going swimmingly.

The defender had managed to break into the Everton first-team – then managed by David Moyes – and was given the nod by the national team's manager Giovanni Trapattoni, but a swift glimpse of bad luck saw Duffy's career, and life, flash before his eyes.

Shane Duffy saw his career and his life flash before his eyes during a freak training accident

The defender was preparing for a potential debut for his homeland against Paraguay on the coming Sunday, but – as you would expect a 14st, 6ft 4in defender to do – was caught on the wrong side of an aerial collision with one of the goalkeepers.

In an interview with The Sun, the defender said: 'I collided with the keeper from a free-kick. 

'I hadn't seen him coming. There was just a big bang – and my liver was sliced open. I lost a lot of blood.

'I was unconscious, taken to hospital and was in a coma for a couple of days before I woke up, and that was it. I was still alive.'

The Brighton defender lost six pints of blood training with the Republic of Ireland in 2010

Duffy was going through a bright spell, making his Everton debut and getting a call-up

The accident saw Duffy, now 25, lose a staggering six pints of blood, and in the process, came out three stone lighter with a long road of recovery ahead of him.

'The doctors did a great job,' Duffy said. 'They told me it was a car crash injury suffered on a football pitch.'

The tragic accident saw Duffy sidelined indefinitely, and considering the effects, it should have been permanent. The 25-year-old warrior though, was determined to make a heroic return to his profession.

'It took me a year and a half, maybe even two years to get back to where I was. But as a centre-half, if I don't get stuck in, I don't have a career, so I just get on with it.' 

Which was the 18-year-old's first of his career but was forced to wait until 2014 for his debut

After he claimed it took him a year and a half to recover from a 'car crash' injury

Loan spells at Scunthorpe and Yeovil were enough to earn the centre-half his debut four years after it was due in 2014. 

Having picked up where he left off, Duffy has developed a fearless nature and has no intentions of taking a step back from the beautiful game that nearly ended his life. 

'If it didn't kill me that time, it won't kill me next time.'