Fabrice Muamba reveals involvement in impromptu football match shortly after heart attack

Fab recovery But the most astonishing story will always remain the fact that Fabrice Muamba ‘died’ for 78 minutes – and lived to tell the tale. (GETTY IMAGES)

Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has revealed he took part in an impromptu game of football while on holiday in May, two months after collapsing during an FA Cup tie against Tottenham with a cardiac arrest.

Muamba was rushed to the London Chest Hospital and doctors took 78 minutes to restart his heart following the incident at White Hart Lane in March, with his eventual recovery described as a miracle.

The 24-year-old has made a remarkable recovery since then but it is still not known when, or if, former England Under-21 international will be able to return to professional football.

However, Muamba revealed to CNN that he played some football while on holiday with his fiancee Shauna Magunda in Dubai in May.

"I was on holiday and I was staying in a hotel and there were quite a few footballers in the hotel as well. The staff of the hotel usually play against the visitor so I was by the pool and I heard they were playing football," he said.

"Then I went across and saw other footballers playing and I told my friends and Shauna - I told her 'I am sorry but I am going to play football'. She goes 'are you sure?' and I say 'yes' and I just went in there."

Asked if his fiancee said it was ok, Muamba added: "Yeah yeah yeah but she was scared. I just went in through the groove and played for about 20-25minutes.

"It was just playing like normal, it was just playing like I was training. It was great, I enjoyed it.

"I never tweeted the pictures out to anybody but I am talking to you guys, so you guys have the best news out of everybody!

"So it was just to get back into the groove and to get back into momentum, it was just great but I just hope to God that I can get in there myself, with the 11 players on the pitch and to play would be fantastic."

PA