Muamba fighting for his life after collapsing on pitch
Published 18:33 17/03/12 By MirrorFootball
Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba is in a critical condition tonight after collapsing during a FA Cup match with Tottenham.
The 23-year-old had walked to the side of the pitch before collapsing face first onto the ground.
He was immediately surrounded by players and medical staff.
However the player was not breathing and CPR was administered before a defibrillator was called for.
The former England Under-21 star was taken off on a stretcher as fans held their heads in their hands, with some in tears.
The incident was so serious the match at White Hart lane was abandoned after 41 minutes by referee Howard Webb.
The footballer was rushed to hospital but it was unclear tonight what condition he was in.
BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter Ian Dennis says the English midfielder is fighting for his life.
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."
There was nobody around Muamba when he went down and he was not involved in a challenge.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle ran on to the pitch to see what had happened as players gathered and a defibrillator was used on the star, who has also played for Arsenal and Birmingham.
As a message was relayed around the stadium that the game was off, the fans applauded and chanted Muamba's name.
The scene recalled memories of Cameroon's Marc Vivien-Foe who collapsed and died during a Confederations Cup match in 2003.
Muamba has previously played for Arsenal and Birmingham City.
He was born in Kinshasa, Zaire, (Now the Democratic Republic of Congo) but came to England as a child in 1999 aged 11 after his father fled as a political refugee.
Goodwill messages for Muamba pour in on Twitter
Spurs fan tells of his horror at seeing Muamba collapse
More to follow...
