Enock Mwepu, a former midfielder for Brighton, has been named the Under-9 academy coach with immediate effect.
He will continue playing football, though, and assist Brighton in producing the sport’s future stars.
Mwepu tweeted the following after the club verified the news: ‘God’s plan and timing is always perfect. Ending the year with joy. I belong to Christ Jesus.’
Brighton’s manager, Roberto de Zerbi, issued the following statement on the team’s official website: “We’re really happy that Enock has decided to remain here at our club and use his experience to help develop our young players.”
‘Considering his age, Enock has a wealth of experience. He has played in the Champions League and Premier League as well as captaining his country. This is the next chapter for Enock in his footballing career.’
Mwepu joined Brighton in July 2021 for about £18 million from Red Bull Salzburg, making 27 appearances for the club.
During an overseas break, he became ill on a flight to meet up with his nation. After spending some time in a Mali hospital, he was then brought back to Brighton, where more tests revealed his cardiac issue.
The disease would place Enock at an exceedingly high danger of having a potentially catastrophic cardiac attack if he were to continue playing competitive football, the club claimed in a statement.
Following the appointment of Mwepu as academy coach, Brighton’s CEO Paul Barber stated: ‘We were very keen to help Enock with the next stage of his career, and we’re delighted he’s taken us up on the offer to join our academy coaching staff after an incredibly difficult time for him and his family following his diagnosis.’
‘Whenever we recruit a new member of staff, on or off the pitch, we want them to fit with our club values and Enock absolutely encapsulates those perfectly.
‘We’re thrilled Enock will continue to be part of our club, and believe Enock has a huge amount of potential as a coach. We want to give him the opportunity to flourish in this role.’
Mwepu has already declared his intention to quiet the game after learning the heartbreaking news saying: ‘A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has some news to share.
‘He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he achieved his dream by reaching the Premier League.
‘Some dreams however come to an end, so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots because of the medical advice I have received.’
‘This is however not the end of my involvement with football, I plan to stay involved in some capacity.’
‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that supported me in 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 at Brighton and Hove Albion.’
After his retirement, Fabrice Muamba, who had a heart collapse during Bolton’s FA Cup game against Tottenham in March 2012, told Mwepu he is “here if he wants to talk.”
‘With the situation with Enock, I think he will need time to adjust,’ Muamba said. ‘He needs support as much as he can, because [he’s gone from] being able to say you’re going to play football today, and then tomorrow you can’t play football because your health is your number one priority.’
‘As I’ve said many times, I’m here if he wants to speak, I’m happy to have a conversation with him, and I hope that Brighton will keep him in some capacity at the football club because he is still young and has still got a lot to offer in the game. The most important thing is the support that he will get from the world of football.’
Enock Mwepu
Enock Mwepu, a former midfielder for the Zambian national team, was born on January 1, 1998.
Mwepu started his career in his native Zambia before signing with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria in 2017 and then Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League in 2021.
Mwepu competed for the national under-17 squad of Zambia in 2014, representing the nation in the 2015 African U-17 Championship, where Zambia competed against Niger, Nigeria, and Guinea in group A.
Mwepu is renowned for his versatility on the field of play, which was on display at the 2017 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Zambia, where he did not only scored a goal but also stood out as one of the greatest substitutes.
On September 2, 2017, Mwepu scored his first goal for Zambia against Algeria in an AFCON Qualifier at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, which Zambia won 3-1.
He was forced to resign on October 10, 2022, after a hereditary cardiac problem was identified.
