Heart condition forces Chipolopolo star Enock Mwepu to retire aged 24

Zambian international player Enock Mwepu has been forced into early retirement from football at the age of 24 after being diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition his club Brighton and Hove Albion have announced.

Both Mwepu and his club confirmed the shocking retirement which has been caused by a heart problem.

According to a statement issued by the club the heart condition puts the player into a high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac arrest given he continues to play football.

“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,” wrote the club on Monday.

“Sadly this can be exacerbated by playing sport so Enock has been advised that the only option, for the sake of his own safety, is for him to stop playing football.”

Also confirming his retirement, Mwepu said: “A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has news to share. He stood strong to follow his dreams of playing football at the highest level, and by grace of God, he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League,” he tweeted.

“Some dreams, however, have an end, so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots because of the medical advice I received.

“This is but not the end of my involvement in football, I intend to stay involved to some degree. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me in my football trip including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Zambian FA, all my past team-mates and coaches, specially everyone at Brighton & Hove Albion.”

Mwepu arrived at Brighton from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2021 and made 18 league appearances last season and this season he had featured six times.

Initially, before his club’s doctors announced that the 24-year-old had a hereditary heart condition, he had recently been hospitalised during the international break.

Apart from Mwepu, of late footballers have suffered heart conditions, these include the former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, Daley Blind and Christian Eriksen.

Just like Mwepu, Aguero was also forced to hang his boots due to a heart problem after being advised by his doctors to quit while the duo of Blind and Eriksen however returned.