London – Enock Mwepu, a 24-year-old midfielder for Brighton, has been forced to retire due to a hereditary cardiac disease, the Premier League club revealed on Monday.
The disease, which can develop over time, would place him at “very high risk of suffering a possibly catastrophic cardiac episode” if he continued to play competitive football, according to the club.
Enock felt ill during a flight to join Zambia during the international break last month, and after being hospitalized in Mali for a time, he returned to Brighton for more heart exams.
The club added in a statement, “These tests have determined that his disease is caused by a congenital heart condition that manifests later in life and was not previously detected during routine cardiac screening.”
Bad news. Enock Mwepu was forced to terminate his career at age 24 due to an inherited cardiac disease. [CDATA[]]>🔵 #BHAFC
This is his official statement pic.twitter.com/nKF5aXWMWd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 10, 2022
“Unfortunately, playing sports can exacerbate this condition, so Enock has been informed that, for his own safety, he must stop playing football.”
Mwepu, who scored three goals in 27 appearances for the club, tweeted that he had “lived his dream” by making it to the Premier League.
He added: “Some dreams, however, must come to an end, thus it is with regret that I must announce that I must hang up my boots due to medical advice.
“This is not the end of my engagement with football, however. I intend to remain active in some manner.”
Tony Bloom, chairman of Brighton, stated: “We are all utterly heartbroken for Enock. The past four weeks have been devastating for him and his family, and while we are grateful he has survived, his potential career has been cut short at such a young age.”
Just last month, Roberto De Zerbi was hired manager to replace Graham Potter “I feel terrible for Enock.
“Before I arrived, I surveyed the entire roster, and he was the athlete I was most eager to work with. We will do everything possible to assist him.”
Mwepu, who moved to the Premier League from Red Bull Salzburg last season, played his farewell game for Brighton on September 4, a 5-2 victory over Leicester.
AFP