Brighton's Enock Mwepu Forced To Retire Following Heart Condition Diagnosis

Monday, 10 October 2022 10:27

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Brighton midfield maestro Enock Mwepu has today (Monday) announced his retirement from professional football at the age of just 24 as a result of a hereditary heart condition.

The condition, which can worsen over time, would put Mwepu at an extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event, if he were to continue playing competitive football.

Club chairman, Tony Bloom, said:

“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.”

The player was taken ill while on a flight to join up with Zambia during the international break and after a period in hospital in Mali he returned to Brighton to undergo further cardiac tests and ongoing care.

These tests have concluded that his illness is due to a hereditary cardiac condition, which manifests later in life and was not previously evident on regular cardiac screening.

This can be exacerbated by playing sport, with medical staff advising that the only option, for the sake of his own safety, is for him to stop playing football with immediate effect.

Head of Medicine and Performance, Adam Brett explained:

“It is a terrible blow for Enock, but he has to put his health and his family first, and this is the right choice, however difficult it is to quit the game he loves.

“Of course, given this is Enock’s career and a decision which can’t be taken lightly, we have taken our time to be as thorough as possible, completed advanced cardiac investigations and collaborated with clinical experts to gain the best second opinions for Enock.

“We will be helping him make sure the condition is managed with the appropriate treatment for him to otherwise live a long and healthy life."

Head coach Roberto De Zerbi added:

“I am so sorry for Enock.

"Before I arrived I looked at all the squad, and he was a player I was so excited and looking forward to working with. We will do everything we can to help him.”