Mwepu's retirement brings heart issues back into player health spotlight

October 11 - The risk of cardiac arrest among professional footballers has been highlighted again with Brighton and Hove Albion's Zambian midfielder Enock Mwepu forced to retire aged 24 only.

Mwepu fell ill on a flight to join his Zambian teammates during the international break last month and returned to the English Premier League club to undergo further heart tests after a period of hospitalization in Mali.

A statement revealed that Mwepu would be at an extremely high risk of suffering 'fatal cardiac arrest' if he continued to play competitive football.

The versatile player joined Brighton from Red Bull Salzburg on a four-year £18million deal in July 2021.

Mwepu insisted he still plans to stay in football in some capacity after having to cut his career short.

"It is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up by the bootstraps due to the medical advice I have received. This is not the end of my involvement in football, I plan to stay involved to some extent."

Brighton's Head of Medicine and Performance Adam Brett said: "It's a terrible blow for Enock but he has to put his health and his family first and that's the right choice , although it is hard to leave the game he loves.. Given that this is Enock's career and a decision that cannot be taken lightly, we took our time to be as thorough as possible, performed advanced cardiac investigations and worked with clinical experts to obtain the best second opinions for Enock.

"We will help ensure that the disease is managed with the appropriate treatment to allow him to live a long and healthy life."

Mwepu's younger brother Francisco, 22, is also a professional footballer for Austrian side Sturm Graz.

Heart problems affecting professional gamers are unusual but still occur sporadically.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City's all-time top scorer, has retired at the age of 33, less than six months after joining Barcelona. And former Manchester United defender Daley Blind was diagnosed with a heart condition in December 2019 but returned to play after having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted.

The most publicized recent case is that of Dane Christian Eriksen, who was also fitted with an ICD following a cardiac arrest while playing for his country at Euro 2020, shocking the world football.

Eight years ago, Fabrice Muamba's heart stopped for 78 minutes while playing for Bolton in a game at Tottenham Hotspur. While he miraculously survived, Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe tragically died after collapsing during an international match in France in 2003.

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