Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire from football at the age of 24 after diagnosis of hereditary heart condition.
The Zambian international will have to cut short his budding career due to high risk of suffering cardiac injury.
Brighton said in a statement “The condition, which can worsen over time, would put Enock at an extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event, if he were to continue playing competitive football.”
“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.” the statement added.
Enock was taken ill while on a flight to join up with Zambia during the international break and spent four days in hospital in Mali. He returned to Brighton to undergo further cardiac tests and the results meant he has to quit the game he loves.
These tests concluded that Mwepu’s illness is due to a hereditary cardiac condition, which manifests later in life and was not previously evident on regular cardiac screening and can be worsened by playing sport.