Mwepu, a Premier League player, suffers from a cardiac condition and retires at the age of 24.

In July 2021, Enock Mwepu was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion from Salzburg in Austria, fulfilling his dream of playing in the English Premier League. Since his arrival, the midfielder had a positive impact on the Seagulls and his consolidation was expected in the 2022-23 season, but surprising news has changed the outlook: he will retire at only 24 years old.

According to the English club on Twitter, the Zambian footballer "has been forced to end his playing career following the diagnosis of a hereditary heart condition" after listening to the recommendation of specialist doctors.

In that sense, Brighton revealed that Mwepu became ill during the last FIFA international break when he went to play a friendly match with the Zambian national team. At that time, the midfielder was examined at a hospital in Mali and later further tests were carried out in England.

During these examinations, doctors detected a hereditary heart condition that manifests later in life and was not evident in a regular test. According to specialists, this hereditary condition can worsen with sports practice, even becoming fatal, and for Enock's safety, he had to quit football.

Mwepu listened to the doctors and announced his decision to retire to Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton's coach, who could not hide his sadness. The Seagulls' board, also affected by what happened to the talented player, committed to providing all possible assistance to Enock and his family.

Letter from Enock Mwepu announcing his retirement

"A child from a small municipality in Zambia called Chambishi has some news to share. He stood firm to pursue his dream of playing football at the highest level and, by the grace of God, he fulfilled his dream by reaching the Premier League. However, some dreams come to an end, so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots due to the medical advice I have received. However, this is not the end of my involvement in football, as I plan to stay involved in some way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me on my football journey, including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Football Association of Zambia, all my previous clubs, teammates and coaches, and especially everyone at Brighton & Hove Albion."