Fabrice Muamba on Lisburn visit

Pictured with The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Thomas Beckett is Fabrice Muamba, former Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers player.

The former footballer was in Lisburn filming a documentary on Professor Frank Pantridge, the inventor of the defibrillator.

Fabrice suffered cardiac arrest during a televised FA cup match between Bolton and Tottenham Hotspur from which he recovered, despite his heart having stopped for 78 minutes.

Following medical advice he announced his retirement from professional football in August 2012.

Mayor Beckett said: “As one who has attended many premier league games I had the privilege to watch him play on numerous occasions.

“He was interested as I explained that we as a council had taken an initiative with funding to help local clubs receive defibrillators and that the council had helped train people in their usage.

“This began when I was Chairman of the Leisure Services Committee. Fabrice was very impressed. I said that he had been a great ambassador for sport and young people since his retirement and wished him well with his media and coaching career.”

Since retiring from professional football Fabrice Muamba has did some media work and was part of ITV’s coverage of the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

He also has a keen interest in sports journalism and graduated from Staffordshire University this year, receiving a BA Honours degree in the subject.