Fabrice Muamba supports Hearts and Goals cardiac campaign
Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba is supporting a year-long campaign that aims to prevent death from sudden cardiac arrests.
The 24-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur in March. He returned to the Reebok Stadium earlier to promote the Hearts and Goals campaign. The initiative aims to increase the number of defibrillators in public places and offer CPR training. Muamba's heart stopped for 78 minutes after he collapsed on the pitch and medics used a defibrillator several times to restart his heart. He said: "It happened to me and I had the right people at the right time to help me. "I was grateful to be saved by people and I wanted to be part of this. "Hopefully we can put this machine in every public place we can to help people save lives." The campaign is run in association with Bolton Wanderers, the Arrhythmia Alliance based in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart Rhythm Charity. Muamba said he had not ruled out a return to football, but has designs on some of the game's less stressful roles. "To be a coach you need a bigger heart and my heart is very tiny," he added. "I had a cardiac arrest playing football and you see coaches having heart problems. "That's why I'll walk away from football and do something different in my life. "I would like to be upstairs, be a director of football. Wearing the suits, looking smart and talking about football - no strain on the heart at all."