Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire at the age of 24 after he was diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition.
The Zambia international would be at risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event if he continued to play, Brighton said in a statement.
Mwepu said on Twitter: “A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has some news to share. He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League.
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“Some dreams however come to an end, so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots because of the medical advice I have received. This is, however, not the end of my involvement with football, I plan to stay involved in some capacity.”
Mwepu fell ill on a flight to meet the Zambian national team, who he captained, ahead of a match against Mali on September 26, which was subsequently abandoned because of heavy rain. He was admitted to hospital in Mali before returning to Brighton for cardiac screening and care.
He last played for Brighton in the 5-2 home win against Leicester City on September 4.
Tony Bloom, the Brighton chairman, said: “We are all absolutely devastated for Enock. He and his family have had a traumatic few weeks and while we are just thankful he has come through that period, he has seen such a promising career cut short at such a young age.
“As a club we will give him all the love, help and support we possibly can to make a full recovery, and then as he decides on the next steps in his life.”
Roberto De Zerbi, the Brighton head coach appointed last month after the departure of Graham Potter to Chelsea, said: “I am so sorry for Enock. Before I arrived I looked at all the squad and he was a player I was so excited and looking forward to working with. We will do everything we can to help him.”
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Potter also expressed his sympathies. “It’s really terrible but thankfully, it isn’t as terrible as it maybe could’ve been. He is alive and well. That is something we’re really thankful for. But at 24 years old, to now be able to play football puts everything in perspective. I tried calling him today – I sent him a message – he is a fantastic person and whatever he does, he will succeed in his life. But it’s a shame we won’t see him on the pitch.”
The Denmark and Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against Finland at last year’s European Championship. However, he was able to continue his career after an eight-month hiatus by becoming the first top-flight football player to be fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which can restart the heart after a cardiac arrest.
The statement from Brighton read: “His illness is due to a hereditary cardiac condition, which manifests later in life and was not previously evident on regular cardiac screening. Sadly this can be exacerbated by playing sport, so Enock has been advised that the only option, for the sake of his own safety, is for him to stop playing football.”
Other footballers with high-profile heart problems
Marc-Vivien Foé
The Cameroon midfielder died aged 28 after collapsing during a Confederation Cup semi-final in 2003. An autopsy concluded that his death was heart-related.
Fabrice Muamba
In an FA Cup match against Tottenham in March 2012, the Bolton midfielder suffered cardiac arrest and his heart stopped for 78 minutes before he was resuscitated at hospital. He spent four weeks in intensive care and retired in August that year, aged 24.
Christian Eriksen
The 30-year-old collapsed after cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020. He had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted and returned to top-level football nine months later, first with Brentford before joining Manchester United during the summer.
Sergio Agüero
The former Manchester City striker, 34, retired last year on the advice of doctors, having suffered cardiac arrhythmia during a match.
Charlie Wyke
The Wigan Athletic striker collapsed at training in November 2021 and his heart stopped beating for four minutes. Leam Richardson, the Wigan manager, gave him CPR. The 29-year-old has been fitted with a defibrillator and returned to first-team football this season, scoring in the 3-1 defeat by Cardiff City on Saturday in only his second appearance since collapsing.
