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Muamba 'overwhelmed' by support

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Fabrice Muamba made an emotional return to Bolton ahead of their clash against Tottenham - just 47 days after his on-field cardiac arrest.

Trotters star says he's 'just grateful to be able to walk again'

Fabrice Muamba made an emotional return to Bolton ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham, waving tearfully to supporters from the field - just 47 days after his on-field cardiac arrest. The midfielder was introduced to a standing ovation ahead of Wanderers' match against Spurs, the team he was playing against in the FA Cup when he collapsed at White Hart Lane on March 17th. The 24-year-old, whose heart stopped beating for 78 minutes following his collapse, spent a month at the London Chest Hospital before being discharged on April 16. The England Under-21 midfielder has continued his rehabilitation at home and was visibly moved and wiped tears from his eyes as he acknowledged the crowd at the Reebok Stadium. "I'm ok. I'm getting stronger everyday," Muamba told Sky Sports 1. "I'm happy to be back and I'm happy to see the fans outside. I'm overwhelmed by the support I got. I'm just happy to be able to speak to people again and to be able to walk freely, so I'm just happy that I'm here."

Grateful

Asked how it felt to be walking back into the Reebok Stadium, he said: "This is a special place. If you play for this football club you know what a special place it is. The support that I got is overwhelming and I'm grateful for it. "I'm very happy and very excited about today's game (against Tottenham). I came today because I really wanted to support the boys." Muamba also spoke about the 'fantastic support' he received during his recovery, saying: "It helps me every single day. I've still got about six or seven boxes to go through of well wishes cards and I'm grateful for that. "The support I got is overwhelming, trust me. It stays in my mind every single day, so this keeps me going every single day so the support has be overwhelming" And in a message to the Bolton faithful, Muamba said: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for your support. Thank you, from the whole country. I mean the support has been overwhelming and I'm just grateful to be able to walk again to do things normally again so my message is going to be thank you. "I wish I was playing today. Obviously my circumstances not helping at the moment but I think the boys have prepared well and when they go out, they will give their best."

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