Enock Mwepu confirms retirement due to heart condition

Soon after Brighton and Hove Albion released an announcement that their Zambian player, Enock Mwepu, had been diagnosed with a heart condition and was going to retire untimely, the 24-year-old confirmed the news with a statement of his own.

It read: “A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has some news to share. He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League.

“Some dreams, however, come to an end, so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots because of the medical advice I have received. This is, however, not the end of my involvement with football, I plan to stay involved in some capacity.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that supported me in my football journey, including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Zambian FA, all my previous clubs, team-mates and coaches, especially everyone at Brighton & Hove Albion.”

Tony Bloom, the club chairman added: “We are all absolutely devastated for Enock. He and his family have had a traumatic few weeks and while we are just thankful he has come through that period, he has seen such a promising career cut short at such a young age.

“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.”