Bolton's Fabrice Muamba suffers heart attack, collapsed during a football match

Muamba collapsed unchallenged in the first half at White Hart Lane before medical staff swiftly attempted to revive him using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and a defibrillator

A high profile football match has been abandoned this afternoon in England after a player collapsed on the pitch.

The 23-year-old Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed with several minutes remaining in the first half of the FA Cup tie between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton


Players rushed to his aid and looked on in horror as medics worked to resuscitate the former England Under-21 star in front of a packed crowd of 36,000 fans.

Upsetting: Gareth Bale, of Tottenham Hotspur, consoles teammate Jermain Defoe after Fabrice Muamba is taken off on a stretcher, still unconscious after receiving CPR treatment on the pitch

Fabrice Muamba of Bolton Wanderers receives CPR treatment on the pitch after suddenly collapsing during the FA Cup Sixth Round match

Dreadful scenes: Bolton's manager Owen Coyle, right, looks on distraught with other players as Fabrice Muamba of Bolton Wanderers receives CPR treatment on the pitch

Bolton boss Owen Coyle shouted 'he's just collapsed' before running across to join the paramedics.

Players gathered and a defibrillator was used on the star, who has also played for Arsenal and Birmingham.

The former England Under-21 player was taken off on a stretcher as fans held their heads in their hands, with some in tears.

Referee Howard Webb called off the match after the incident.

Reporters at the scene said the player had stopped breathing and has been taken to hospital.

It is understood that Mr Coyle and Bolton striker Kevin Davies accompanied Muamba in the ambulance to the hospital.

According to some reports, paramedics managed to get the star breathing again during his journey to hospital. However, no further details have yet emerged.

There was nobody around Muamba when he went down and he was not involved in a challenge.



As a message was relayed around the stadium that the game was off, the fans applauded and chanted Muamba's name.

Concern: Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe is consoled on the pitch by Gareth Bale, left. In the image on the right, Fabrice Muamba is treated immediately after collapsing on the pitch

Anxious time: Football fans looked on in horror as the player was treated by medics on the pitch

Hope: Tottenham player Rafael van der Vaart prays on the pitch for Fabrice Muamba

Commentating on ESPN, John Barnes said: 'From the players' reaction on both sides it seemed that things were pretty serious.'

Kevin Keegan added: 'Jermain Defoe seemed absolutely distraught.

'The fans are in a state of shock. I've never seen anything like that on a football pitch before.

'Our hearts go out to his family.'

Bolton Wanderers released a short statement on the club's website, which read: 'Bolton Wanderers can confirm that Fabrice Muamba has been taken to hospital following his collapse at White Hart Lane this evening during the FA Cup quarter-final. There is no further information at this stage.'

Meanwhile, footballers took to Twitter to pay tribute to Muamba.

Distraught: Tottenham players console each other after Fabrice Muamba is taken from the pitch

Struggling: England striker Jermain Defoe was one of the most visibly upset players

Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who played with Muamba at Bolton, wrote: 'Hope Muamba is okay. Thoughts with him.'

Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand wrote: 'Come on Fabrice Muamba, praying for you.'

Muamba's Bolton team-mate, Stuart Holden, wrote: 'Praying for you Fab. Hope he's OK. Thoughts with him and his family.'

Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte, who came through the Arsenal youth team with Muamba, posted: 'I seriously hope my best friend in football is OK. Stay strong bro please please stay strong. God is with you remember that.'

Talented: Fabrice Muamba runs with the ball during the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers shortly before he collapsed

And Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone wrote: 'Thoughts with Fab and his family. Feel sick watching this, puts football and everything else into perspective.'

England striker Wayne Rooney wrote on Twitter: 'Hope fabrice muamba is ok. Praying for him and his family. Still in shock.'

Muamba's team-mate, Stuart Holden, later tweeted: 'For all those asking, I know as much as you do. Waiting anxiously for updates from teammates. Fab is a fighter! £prayforMuamba.'

Speaking to BBC News, football pundit and former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson described Muamba as 'very strong' and a 'box-to-box' midfielder.

Lawrenson said: 'He's 23 years of age and obviously very fit to play in the Premier League.

'It seems this is one of these strange and unfortunate occasions.'

Muamba had taken to Twitter earlier today to express his excitement over Bolton's FA Cup tie at White Hart Lane.
Using the username @fmuamba, he tweeted: 'Just reach white hart lane. £COYW lets have it now.'

The Football Association also took to Twitter to release a short statement, which read: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Fabrice Muamba and his family right now. A wonderful person.'

Rafael van der Vaart, who started today's game for Spurs, wrote on Twitter: 'Terrible what happened with Muamba during the game. We're all praying for him.'

And striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who missed today's game with a hamstring injury, added: 'My thoughts are with Fabrice Muamba's family. We all are praying for him and hope for a speedy recovery.'

Spurs fan Paul Smith was at the game. He told of his horror at seeing the sad events unfold.

He said: 'I, along with around 30,000 other people have witnessed a great tragedy this evening.

'Bearing in mind that the lad was given resuscitation on the pitch on the pitch, we fear the worst.

'It puts everything else in to perspective and the thoughts of all Spurs fans are with him and his family.

'I was in the north upper stand and the incident was in the other half of the field so I was quite a long way from everyone but everyone saw the urgency of the situation.

'He was just laying face down on the pitch.'

The scene recalled memories of Cameroon's Marc Vivien-Foe who collapsed and died during a Confederations Cup match in 2003.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A TALENTED ENGLISH FOOTBALLER BORN IN ZAIRE

1988: Born April 6 in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

1999: Moves to England at the age of 11, reuniting with his father who had earlier sought political asylum in the country due to civil war in his homeland.

2002: Joins the youth team set-up at Arsenal - the club he supported as a boy in his homeland - before graduating to their Academy two years later.

2005: Signs professional terms at Arsenal and makes the first of two first-team appearances for the club.

2006: Joins Birmingham on a season-long loan and goes on to make 36 appearances on his way to winning the club's young player of the year award.

2007: Makes his move to Birmingham permanent in May after the club agrees a reported £4million fee with Arsenal.

2007: After representing England at every age level from Under-16s, Muamba is handed his England Under-21 debut in August in a friendly against Romania.

2008 Signs for Bolton after the Trotters agree a fee in excess of £5million with Birmingham for the midfielder.

2011: Represents England Under-21s at the European Championships in Denmark.

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