Fabrice Muamba’s heart ‘failed for two hours’

The 23-year-old player remains in a critical condition after being taken to the London Chest Hospital shortly after suffering a heart attack during the game.

He fell to the ground at White Hart Lane at 6.11pm in front of millions of television viewers watching the FA Cup quarter final between Tottenham Hotspur and his club, Bolton Wanderers.

He went into cardiac arrest and paramedics from both teams were unable to start his heart working by itself again until he reached London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green, east London at 8pm.

Both players and fans looked on visibly shake and the game was abandoned shortly afterwards.

Muamba remains anaesthetised in intensive care at the hospital which is seven miles away from the stadium.

Today his club manager Owen Coyle thanked fans for their support, saying: “All our thoughts and prayers are for Fabrice and his family at this time.”

A joint statement from the hospital and Bolton Wanderers read:

“Fabrice Muamba remains in a critical condition in intensive care in the Heart Attack Centre at the London Chest Hospital.

“He was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening after collapsing at White Hart Lane where he sustained a cardiac arrest during the FA Cup quarter final against Tottenham Hotspur.

“Fabrice received prolonged resuscitation at the ground and on route to the London Chest Hospital where his heart eventually started working.

“As is normal medical practice, Fabrice remains anaesthetised in intensive care and will be for at least 24 hours. His condition continues to be closely monitored by the cardiac specialists at the hospital.”

Coyle added: “Fabrice’s family have asked me to pass on their thanks for the many, many kind messages of support from not only Bolton fans but also fans from clubs across the country and abroad.

“All our thoughts and prayers are for Fabrice and his family at this time. The family would also like to thank the media for respecting their privacy at this time.”

‘Critically ill’

Coyle spoke to reporters outside the hospital in Bethnal Green, east London in the early hours of this morning.

He said: “Fabrice is critically ill. The next 24 hours are going to be absolutely crucial.”

Members of his family and his fiancee also attended the hospital last night, it was reported.

This morning fans left a series of tributes to Muamba outside. Two children left drawings they had made for the midfielder and flowers were left on the doorstep. A Spurs fans who had suffered a similar heart problem also delivered flowers.

Messages of support

More tributes were paid by footballers, managers and friends throughout the day.

In a statement Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said: “All our thoughts are with Fabrice, his family, Owen Coyle and the club.

“It was the right decision to abandon the game. Everybody was in a state of shock and it wouldn’t have been right to carry on. Football is the last thing on anyone’s mind when an awful situation such as this happens.

“All we are thinking about now is Fabrice and his family.”

Club chairman Daniel Levy said: “Our thoughts are with Fabrice’s family and Bolton Wanderers and we are all willing him to pull through. Events such as this put everything into perspective.

“We are immensely proud and grateful to the medical teams at both clubs. Their response was immediate and professional.

“Our thanks also to both sets of fans for their support and behaviour. Too often we read the negatives about football and yet last night, at a time of intense emergency and uncertainty, we saw the true humanity and empathy of the footballing family.”

Fans left flowers, shirts and scarves at Bolton’s Reebok stadium close to the players’ entrance and the location of the club’s remembrance book.

Supporters arrived throughout the morning to leave tributes.

A Bolton flag was signed with the message: “Just get back to full health. Praying for you.”