Fabrice Muamba's fiancee, Shauna, has revealed that the medics were close to giving up on the Bolton midfielder during his resuscitation period.

Muamba, 24, needed 78 minutes of resuscitation after suffering a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur in March.

Medics were reportedly thinking of giving up after such a long time, but Shauna revealed that Jonathan Tobin, Bolton's club doctor, prevented them from doing so on two occasions.

"It was only the personal relationship between Dr Tobin and Fabrice that kept them going. Dr Tobin told me that," she said.

"They thought about stopping twice. Dr Tobin said, 'No, let's try again'. And they kept on trying until they saved his life."

Muamba was discharged from hospital last month and recently made his return to the Reebok Stadium, addressing the crowd before Bolton's match with Spurs.

Written by
Barney Corkhill