Muamba forced to call time on career

After five hope-filled months, Fabrice Muamba yesterday conceded defeat in his admirable battle to play professional football again.

Muamba stunned the football world on March 17 when he suddenly collapsed and lay face down on the turf during Bolton’s FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.

The former England Under-21 midfielder was given 15 electric shocks on the pitch as paramedics tried to revive him and doctors later revealed the 24-year-old’s heart had stopped beating for a staggering 78 minutes.