Brighton appoint Enock Mwepu as U9 academy manager after being forced to retire

Brighton have confirmed that their former midfielder Enock Mwepu will become the Under-9s’ academy manager in the new year.

The Zambian was forced to retire in October aged just 24 after being diagnosed with an inherited heart condition.

However, he will remain in football and help develop the next generation of players at Brighton.

Enock Mwepu has been appointed as Brighton’s new U9 academy manager following his retirement

After the news was confirmed by the club, Mwepu tweeted: “God’s plan and timing is always perfect. Let the year end with joy. I belong to Christ Jesus.’

In a statement on the club’s official website, Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi said: “We are delighted that Enock has chosen to stay here at our club and use his experience to develop our young players.

“Considering his age, Enock has a wealth of experience. He has played in the Champions League and Premier League and captained his country. This is the next chapter for Enock in his football career.”

Mwepu will help develop the next generation of players to make it through the Seagulls

Mwepu posted this tweet after Brighton confirmed his appointment as academy manager

Mwepu made 27 appearances for Brighton after joining the club from Red Bull Salzburg in July 2021 for around £18million.

He fell ill flying back to his country on a flight during an international break and after spending time in hospital in Mali he was sent back to Brighton where further tests established his heart condition.

In a statement, the club said the condition “would put Enock at an extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event if he continued to play competitive football”.

Following Mwepu’s appointment, Chief Executive Paul Barber said: “We were keen to help Enock in the next phase of his career and are delighted that he has accepted the offer to join our academy coaching team after an incredibly difficult time following him and his family after his Diagnosis.

“Whenever we recruit a new member of staff on or off the pitch we want them to fit our club values ​​and Enock embodies these absolutely perfectly.

“We are thrilled that Enock will continue to be part of our club and believe Enock has tremendous potential as a manager. We want to give him the opportunity to develop in this role.”

Mwepu was forced to retire in October aged just 24 due to an inherited heart condition

Mwepu had previously expressed his intention to continue his involvement in the sport after receiving the devastating news.

“A boy from a small Zambian community called Chambishi has some news to share,” Mwepu wrote in a statement on social media.

“He was determined to achieve his dream of playing football at the highest level and by the grace of God he has achieved his dream by reaching the Premier League.

“Some dreams do come to an end, however, so it is with sadness that I announce that due to the medical advice I have received, I am having to hang up my boots.

“However, this is not the end of my involvement in football, I intend to remain involved in some way.

Mwepu released this statement after learning he had to retire from the sport in October

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my football journey including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Zambian FA, all my previous clubs, team-mates and coaches and especially everyone in Brighton and Hove Albion .«

Fabrice Muamba, who went into cardiac arrest during Bolton’s FA Cup game against Tottenham in March 2012, told Mwepu he would be “here if he wanted to talk” after retiring.

“Given the situation with Enock, I think he will need time to adjust,” Muamba said. “He needs as much support as he can because [he’s gone from] to be able to say that you are playing football today and tomorrow you cannot play football because your health is your number one priority.

“As I’ve said many times before, I’m here if he wants to speak, I’m happy to have a chat with him and I hope Brighton will in some way keep him at the football club because he’s still young and has there is still a lot to offer in the game. The most important thing is the support he gets from the world of football.”