Enock Mwepu, a midfielder for Brighton, was forced to retire at the age of 24 due to an inherited heart ailment.
On Monday morning, the premier league team made this official.
Mwepu became ill last month while traveling to join his Zambian teammates for the international break.
After arriving in West Africa last month, he was unable to train and was hospitalized for four days.
Upon Mwepu’s return to England, he underwent testing, and according to Brighton, the results indicated that his “only alternative” was to retire.
According to the results of these tests, Brighton said in a statement, “His sickness is attributable to a congenital heart disorder, which develops later in life and was not previously obvious on routine cardiac screening.”
In response, Mwepu stated that he was retiring with “sadness,” noting that although he had accomplished his goal of playing in the Premier League, “some ambitions come to an end.”
The versatile player signed a four-year contract with Brighton in July 2021 from Red Bull Salzburg for a rumored sum of £18 million.
In 27 games for the team, he scored three goals, and his last game was the 5-2 victory over Leicester City in September.
