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Former Gunner Muamba retires from football.
By Tom Humphrey
Former Arsenal player Fabrice Muamba has announced his retirement from football today. Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch in an FA Cup tie between Spurs and his team Bolton in March. Muamba’s heart stopped beating for 78 minutes, but with the help of a Spurs fan who was a heart specialist that rushed on the pitch as well as the medics from both teams, Muamba survived.
He had hoped that he could make a full recovery and return to football, but today’s announcement brings an end to Muamba’s football career that started at Arsenal. Having fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo by moving to England, he joined Arsenal’s as a schoolboy in 2002, working his way up to the academy in 2004. He signed his first professional contract in October 2005 and later that month made his first-team debut in a League Cup tie against Sunderland. He then made his second and final appearance for the Gunners in another League Cup tie, this time against Reading.
The following season saw Muamba sent out on loan to Birmingham City. After an impressive year that saw him named the fans’ young player of the season, the switch was made permanent for a reported fee of £4m.
A year later, Muamba was on the move again, this time to Bolton Wanderers for a £5m fee that could have risen to £5.75m with add ons. His final goal for Bolton ironically came against Arsenal. Muamba put Bolton 1-0 up in the League Cup clash between the two sides in October 2011, before Arsenal came back to win the tie 2-1.
On a personal note, I was sad to see Muamba leave Arsenal permanently in 2007. I had watched him in the League Cup ties as well as in some reserve games whilst he was at the club. I saw a little bit of Patrick Vieira in him, I could see the talent that he had. Ok, he didn’t quite make it at Arsenal, but he remained a Premier League player and I was really happy to see him doing well at both Birmingham and Bolton. I’m so glad he recovered from the cardiac arrest. I knew it would be extremely difficult for him to ever come back to football in a playing sense, but he’s a fighter and I wish him all the best. I hope he takes it easy from now on and realises that there is a great big world out there and much more to it than just football. Best wishes Fabrice.