Brighton midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire at the age of 24 owing to a hereditary heart condition.
The premier league club confirmed this on Monday morning.
Mwepu fell ill while on a flight to join his Zambia teammates during the international break last month.
He was unable to train after arriving in West Africa last month and spent four days in hospital.
Mwepu had tests on his return to England and Brighton said the results meant the “only option” was for him to retire.
“These tests have concluded that his illness is due to a hereditary cardiac condition, which manifests later in life and was not previously evident on regular cardiac screening,” Brighton said in a statement.
“Sadly, this can be exacerbated by playing sport so Enock has been advised that the only option, for the sake of his own safety, is for him to stop playing football.”
Reacting, Mwepu said he was retiring with “sadness”, adding he had lived his dream by reaching the Premier League but that “some dreams come to an end”.
“This is, however, not the end of my involvement in football, I plan to stay involved in some capacity,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
The versatile player joined Brighton from Red Bull Salzburg on a four-year deal for an fee reported to be £18m in July 2021.
He scored three goals in 27 appearances for the club and last played in the 5-2 win over Leicester City in September.
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