Town have invited Leeds United fan Alex Skeel to be their Community Champion at the final game of the season at home to the Whites, the 23-year-old having told the story of his abusive relationship in a recent BBC documentary, Abused By My Girlfriend.
Skeel, who lives in Bedford, was thought to be only 10 days from death after abuse by girlfriend Jordan Worth, who is now serving a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence having admitted grievous bodily harm and coercive controlling behaviour. She was the first UK woman to have been convicted of the latter offence.
Her trial heard that Worth, 22, had attacked Skeel physically, leading to injuries which required hospital treatment, while dictating which clothes he should wear, denying him food and cutting him off him from his family.
Matters came to a head when he suffered second and third-degree burns after boiling water was thrown over him.
Skeel, who will lead the teams out on a day his team could secure promotion to the Premier League, accepted Town’s offer, which was made over Twitter last week.
Hi @SkeelAlex, we've seen your story & admire the courage you've shown in raising awareness for victims of male domestic abuse.
We'd like to invite you to lead the teams out at Portman Road on May 5 against your team @LUFC as Community Champion.
Hope you can make it! 💙 #itfc– Ipswich Town FC (@IpswichTown) February 22, 2019
"Unexpected, but the best feeling in the world," he told BBC Online. "Hopefully I will be walking the champions out.
"Honestly, I'm just lost for words. Both Ipswich and especially the Leeds fans have been amazing. They've made me love my club even more."
A Town spokesman added: "Alex's story has touched a lot of people and with Leeds here at the end of the season, it seemed the perfect opportunity for Ipswich Town to show our support for him by offering him the chance to be our Community Champion for the day and lead both teams out."
A Leeds United spokesperson said: "We are thrilled that Ipswich Town have reached out to Alex and given him this wonderful opportunity.
"The reaction to Alex's story has been superb and we look forward to him joining us at Elland Road as soon as possible.”
Town started their Community Champion initiative, which sees "inspirational people" carry out the match ball and lead the players on to the pitch, in 2016/17.