Fabrice Muamba retires from professional football

Fabrice Muamba announces his retirement from football

Muamba, 24, collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest on 17 March during Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final tie with Tottenham Hotspur.

"While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for," Muamba told the club website.

"I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me."

Muamba had travelled to Belgium earlier in the week to have minor heart surgery, which was said to have been routine and had no bearing on whether the player would return to action.

But Muamba says he received advice during his time there, prompting his retirement.

"Since suffering my heart attack and being discharged from hospital, I have remained utterly positive in the belief I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again," said Muamba in a statement.

"As part of my ongoing recovery, last week I travelled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist.

"But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football."

The news comes just six months after he suffered his cardiac arrest, with doctors saying he was "in effect dead" for 78 minutes.

From BBC Sport