'We're looking forward to him coming home': Family of Fabrice Muamba speak of their relief as his condition continues to improve



Bolton Wanderers player asked about his son Joshua in his first words after coming round from a coma



Muamba had a 'comfortable night' in hospital and a friend said he recognised his fiancee before speaking

He is breathing by himself and is able to move



'All your prayers are working,' writes his fiancee Shauna on Twitter



Campaign to kick student who posted offensive Tweets about Muamba to be kicked out of his university

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini calls for footballers to have two medical screenings each year after Muamba collapse



Footballer Fabrice Muamba is recovering well in hospital and his family said today they are looking forward to the day they can take him home.



The Bolton Wanderers player asked about his three-year-old son Joshua in his first words after coming round from a coma, it has been claimed.

Although he is breathing by himself and able to recognise family members, Bolton manager Owen Coyle said Muamba, 23, is still in the early days of his fight back to full health.



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Eternal thanks: Shauna Magunda, right, Fabrice Muamba's fiancee, has kept a constant bedside vigil and has spoken out about the ordeal with his father Marcel Remarkable progress: Bolton manager Owen Coyle, speaking outside the London Chest Hospital, said he has been amazed by the speed of Fabrice Muamba's recovery The player is still in intensive care at the London Chest Hospital but has amazed his manager with the speed of his recovery. Cardiologists say the long-term outlook will remain unclear for some time. A cousin, who did not want to be named, told the Evening Standard: 'His eyes are open and he’s recognising people. I spoke to him yesterday, he’s able to speak. Everything is fine. We thank God for that. He will be back home.' Muamba collapsed on the pitch at White Hart Lane at 6.11pm on Saturday in the first half of an FA Cup quarter-final tie against Tottenham Hotspur as he suffered a heart attack. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: Pray 4 Muamba, but less of the fake... The hidden heart timebomb: After Fabrice Muamba's collapse,... Share this article Share His family, including his fiancée Shauna Magunda, 27, and his parents, Marcel and Gertrude, have been maintaining a constant vigil at his bedside ever since.

The footballer had a 'comfortable night' in intensive care last night as he continues to recover after being visited by a host of professional players including Chelsea's Ashley Cole yesterday.

After Muamba uttered his first words, his delighted fianc é e tweeted: 'All your prayers are working people thank u so so much. To God be the glory.' Support: Bolton Wanderers captain Kevin Davies, left, and midfielder Darren Pratley, right, visit Muamba, 23, in hospital today

Romance: Fabrice Muamba proposed to his girlfriend Shauna Magunda on Valentine's Day Happy couple: Fabrice Muamba, right, out with his fiancee Shauna who he had recently got engaged to. The couple have a three-year-old son Curtis Codrington, who has spent hours at the footballer’s bedside praying for his recovery, said: 'When he opened his eyes and spoke, his first words were in French. It is such a good sign.' The chauffeur added Muamba, who does not drink and is 'deeply religious', is devoted to his family.

'He is one of the most genuine guys I have ever met,' he said. 'His family mean everything to him.' Miss Magunda today thanked the thousands of well-wishers across the world for their support. Bolton manager Owen Coyle said today he would 'never have imagined' his player would begin to recover so quickly.

Coyle said had managed to 'exchange a few words' with the midfielder today but said the contents of the conversation would remain private.

'Fabrice is still in intensive care, still remains critical but yes as you know there has been improvement,' he said.

'I've managed to get to see him myself, as have close family members, I had a conversation, a few words exchanged, that will remain private as you will understand, which is a great sign. 'I must stress it's still very much very early in the process. Fabrice is still a long way to go but there's encouraging signs. We think that's really positive as we move forward from that point. 'I will have to go on record and thank everyone, it was remiss of me yesterday because I have to mention the supporters actually at the match of Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

Asked if he thought Fabrice would make a full recovery, Coyle said: 'It has happened before. Every case is on its own merit. Shock: Bolton manager Owen Coyle (left) walks alongside the stretcher as medical staff attend to Fabrice Muamba. Leading the way, right, is Tottenham fan Dr Andrew Deaner, a consultant cardiologist who came down from the stands to help resuscitate the player Tributes: Flowers, cards, teddy bears and scarves are left outside Bolton's Reebok Stadium as England under 21 international footballer Fabrice Muamba tries to fight back to full health 'Eric and Fabrice strength!': A message of support at AS Roma's Olympic Stadium for Bolton's Muamba and Barcelona's Eric Abidal who is to undergo a liver transplant 'Two things Fabrice has on his side are he is a fit young man and the life that he has had, he has had to fight every step of the way along his young journey. 'These are two things that I'm sure will stand him in good stead.' He added Bolton would be back training tomorrow but said the main concern at the moment was Fabrice. The Premier League side have postponed their match against Aston Villa tonight and their game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday is in doubt. A joint statement by the club and the hospital trust said today: 'Fabrice Muamba has had a comfortable night in the intensive care unit at the London Chest Hospital where the medical team is continuing to monitor his progress. 'Fabrice's family has asked us to thank everyone again for their thoughts and prayers and for the continued messages of support from which they draw great strength.

'To ensure the smooth running of the hospital for all patients, as well as Fabrice's need to concentrate on his recovery, they would request that he receives no more visitors for the moment, outside of immediate family and members of Bolton Wanderers Football Club.' Today a student who admitted posting sick Twitter comments about Muamba was facing the prospect of being thrown out of his university.

Biology student Liam Stacey, 21, is facing jail after admitting posting racist and offensive remarks just after the Bolton player collapsed. A campaign has been launched to get the Swansea University undergraduate thrown off his course.

A spokesman for the university said they had launched an investigation after the student admitted Tweeting 'LOL, F*** Muamba. He's dead'. As the footballer battles back after waking from a coma, his teammate and club captain Kevin Davies heaped praise on him for his remarkable fight.



Fight: Fabrice Muamba, left with Diego Maradona in 2005, and, right, with his fiancee at a party last year Happy times: Bolton Wanderers midfielder in a picture he posted on Twitter last month. He is in a critical condition today after collapsing on the pitch on Saturday The Bolton captain said he had been 'half expecting the phone to ring' with tragic news as he told of the team's sleepless nights since Muamba collapsed on the pitch on Saturday. He told the Sun: 'We all love Fab. We respect him hugely for where he has come from. He's had a tough life. Nothing has been handed to him on a plate.' He called Muamba 'a great role model', telling how he is 'one of the first in every morning' and one of the last to leave the gym at night.

He added: 'It is not something you often see with young players. They want to get in, get out, drive their fancy cars and buy Gucci clothes. That's not Fabrice. It's refreshing to see.' On Saturday night doctors battled for two hours to get Muamba's heart pumping again. Battle: Fabrice Muamba and his Bolton teammate David Wheater on a mat together as Olympic judo expert Sarah Clark assesses their 'skills'. The photo was taken as the players visited a Bolton Muslim girls' school

WHAT CAUSED STAR TO COLLAPSE?

There are several possible causes of Fabrice Muamba’s cardiac arrest.

The one which most commonly kills young athletes is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A genetic defect, it causes part of the heart muscle to thicken in about one in 500 people. It is most serious in the young and is exacerbated by exercise. In some countries, such as Italy, screening for this condition is mandatory for footballers and sufferers are not allowed to play. But in Britain it is up to individual clubs. Although Muamba’s heart was eventually restarted, the major concern now is that just a few minutes without blood pumping to the brain could have caused brain damage. Patients are usually put into a medically induced coma using anaesthetic and their body temperature is drastically reduced for about 24 hours, which can prevent brain damage developing. Other, less common possible causes of sudden cardiac arrest include ARVD, another disorder of the heart muscle which causes part of it to turn to fat; faults with the heart’s electrical impulses; irregular rhythms; or defective heart valves.

It is believed to have stopped altogether for seven minutes, sparking fears that he could have suffered brain damage because of a lack of oxygen.

It was the intervention of a consultant cardiologist who was at Saturday's game that may have saved his life.



Tottenham fan Dr Andrew Deaner went onto the pitch and helped treat the player before he was rushed to hospital.

He received prolonged resuscitation at the ground and while on route to The London Chest Hospital, where his heart eventually started working. Under new NHS guidelines emergency heart cases are immediately routed directly to a number of specialist hospitals across the capital, where consultant cardiologists are on duty round the clock. After Muamba fell to the ground on the pitch, Coyle shouted 'he's just collapsed' before running across to join the paramedics. Players gathered and a defibrillator was used on the star, who has also played for Arsenal and Birmingham. Muamba, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, was taken off on a stretcher as fans held their heads in their hands, with some in tears. It is understood that Coyle and Bolton striker Kevin Davies accompanied Muamba in the ambulance to the London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green, east London.

Today Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini called today for twice-yearly medical screenings for Premier League players after admitting he was worried that not enough is being done to protect them.



Mancini said he was relieved to hear of Muamba's improvement, but revealed that he failed to understand how the Premier League has allowed a situation that puts the safety of players at risk.



'I was really worried on Sunday,' he said. 'Today I have read he has improved and I am very happy for him and his family.



'But if you want to know my opinion, it is that, here in England, the best championship in the world, everything is fantastic. But we need to improve the medical side for the players.



'We need to screen the players often, maybe two times a year, and they have to be more accurate because they don't do this.



'When I saw our medical two years ago, I was really worried. I said we need to do them better.'



Respects: Ashley Cole (right), Shaun Wright-Phillips (left) and another man arrive at the London Chest Hospital yesterday to visit Fabrice Muamba who has seen his condition improve slightly in the last 24 hours

Friends: Arsenal defender Johan Djourou, left, and Tottenham players Emmanuel Adebeyor (white shirt) and Michael Essien (purple shirt), right, visited their friend at the London Chest hospital in East London yesterday



TOTTENHAM FAN STEPPED IN TO SAVE MUAMBA AFTER COLLAPSE

Consultant cardiologist: Andrew Deaner helped to save Muamba's life A Tottenham supporter helped to save the life of Fabrice Muamba after he collapsed on the pitch. Dr Andrew Deaner was in the stands watching Spurs play Bolton when the 23-year-old England under 21 international collapsed. He rushed down to the pitch and directed paramedics as they battled to save the footballer. Today he remains critically ill at hospital. Dr Deaner is a father-of-three and a keen cyclist. He graduated from the Leeds University School of Medicine in 1987 and now works in NHS and private hospitals in London and Essex.

He treats patients with all types of cardiac disease, including those with coronary artery disease and people who have suffered angina, heart attack and cardiac arrest.

He is also an expert in pacemakers as well having a special interest in heart disease in pregnancy.

Heavily involved in the training of junior doctors, the Spurs fan is chair of the Specialist Training Committee in General Medicine for the north Thames region and a member of the British Cardiovascular Society and the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society.

Furthermore, Dr Deaner holds the post of secretary of the Cardiology Council of the Royal Society of Medicine.

As well as his position at the NHS London Chest Hospital, Dr Deaner is a consultant cardiologist at Spire Roding and Spire Hartswood private hospitals in Essex.

He is also the clinical lead in cardiology and clinical director for acute medicine at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. This is his main place of work.

In his personal profile for Spire, Dr Deaner writes: 'I was born and brought up in south west Essex.

'I am married with three teenage children, and spend much of my spare time cycling on a Colnago C50 road bike.

'Amongst numerous cycling achievements, I have successfully ridden an amateur stage of the Tour De France on six occasions and have completed the ultra-long distance Paris-Brest-Paris cycle event on two occasions.

'My other interests include travel and the theatre.'

TOTTENHAM STARS DEMAND HEART CHECKS AFTER WITNESSING MUAMBA COLLAPSE

The Tottenham squad have demanded heart screenings after seeing Bolton's Fabrice Muamba collapse during their FA Cup match. Specialist sports cardiologist Sanjay Sharma says 'one or two players' are due to be tested by him today but the entire squad want to be examined. Muamba is still fighting for his life in intensive care in a critical condition after suddenly collapsing during Saturday's abandoned FA Cup match at Tottenham.

Mr Sharma told Sky News television that 'these cardiac arrests in young people are very rare, they affect about one in 50,000 people.'

The leading sport cardiologist says the examinations for the Tottenham squad will look for any heart muscle damage. He told the Independent he that Muamba's collapse 'surprised' him.

He said: 'I am surprised the heart problem was not picked up. The medical screening these players get is extremely comprehensive. 'It will identify 80 per cent of conditions causing sudden death.'

He added that he was stunned at the low standard of medicals in the Premier League compared with his native Italy, adding: 'It is impossible that a young guy could die on the pitch because they didn't do a medical accurately.



'I want all the players, not just ours, to have more accurate medicals.



'What happened to Muamba and other players in the past can't happen again.'

Last night the entire Sunderland squad visited a vigil site that has been set up at Bolton's Reebok Stadium. Players laid a shirt next to flowers and written tributes ahead of their game against Blackburn tomorrow.



David Beckham sent a message of support from the U.S., Bolton manager Owen Coyle said yesterday.

Coyle said: 'David Beckham has sent a message from across the Atlantic and it shows what opinion people have of Fabrice as a man, not just as a footballer.

'Hopefully that will bring him along.'

Bolton may yet withdraw from the FA Cup to avoid a harrowing return to Tottenham in a rescheduled match. The game was called off soon after Muamba collapsed.



If the game is axed, Tottenham would go into a semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley. Bolton would not be penalised if they decide to withdraw.

Dr Jonathan Hill, a consultant cardiologist at King's College Hospital London added: 'Premier League footballers get the best heart checks and screening possible but events can happen that can't be picked up at screening.

'They spend about two days testing the heart when a player has a full medical. Everything is extremely thorough.

'Sportsmen aren't necessarily immune from heart disorders. Fabrice Muamba was probably just unlucky. You can develop a problem with the heart out of the blue. And no one is really to blame for such events.'

Tributes: Fans leave shirts with messages of support at Bolton's Reebook Stadium as the footballer remains in an artificially-induced coma. Fans of rival clubs, including Liverpool, also left their shirts

Dreadful scenes: Bolton's manager Owen Coyle, right, looks on distraught with other players as Fabrice Muamba receives CPR treatment on the pitch

Football star: Fabrice Muamba on the ball for England under 21s during the European Championship final against Germany three years ago

Concern: Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe is consoled on the pitch by Gareth Bale, left. In the image on the right, Tottenham's Benoit Assou-Ekotto, left, William Gallas, Carlo Cudicini and Bolton manager Owen Coyle look on



Shocking: Fabrice Muamba can be seen running with the ball, left, during Saturday's game shortly before he collapsed. Right, the 23-year-old lies on the ground immediately after collapsing



AN EXTREMELY TALENTED PLAYER WITH A DREAM TO EARN A DOCTORATE

Star: Fabrice Muamba can be seen here playing for England under-21's Fabrice Ndala Muamba is a talented player with a dream to one day earn a doctorate. The 23-year-old Bolton Wanderers midfielder was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, before his family fled to the UK. Born on April 6 1988, Muamba grew up in country's capital Kinshasa. to the sound of gunshots. His father, Marcel, worked for the regime of former Zaire president Mobutu Sese Seko, who was overthrown in 1997. Hunted by anti-Mobutu forces during one of the bloodiest civil wars in modern history, Marcel was forced to flee the country. His wife, Gertrude, and four children were taken in by his brother. However, they too had to leave when Muamba's uncle was killed. In 2008 he told the Daily Mail: 'It was very, very tough. I saw the war. I saw people die. I grew up with it. It was scary. 'I didn't live far from the gunshots and the sound of them going off. It was difficult to get used to, especially hearing guns at night. It did have an effect on me. 'It stopped us going out to play football because we were scared we would get killed. One or two of my friends were hurt, one or two of them have since died.' Muamba was granted asylum in the UK in 1999. Coming to a new country as an 11-year-old, he could not speak a word of English. However, the intelligent youngster quickly picked up the language and excelled at school. He attended Kelmscott School in Walthamstow, north-east London - just three miles away from White Hart Lane, where he collapsed during tonight's FA Cup tie against Tottenham. He had ambitions to one day become an accountant and be referred to as 'Dr Muamba'. Muamba has more qualifications than any of his teammates in the Bolton dressing room, having earned 10 GCSEs as well as A-levels in French, maths and English. A tall man at 6ft 2in, his passions off the pitch include listening to opera music, academia and spending time with his son, Joshua Jeremiah. The player is also said to be deeply religious. He also represented England at every youth level.

