FABRICE Muamba was effectively dead for 78 minutes, the doctor who treated him has said.
Speaking to the BBC, Bolton Wanderers doctor Jonathan Tobin said the midfielder was not breathing on his own for 48 minutes before he reached hospital and then another 30 minutes after that.
Muamba, who grew up in Walthamstow, suffered cardiac arrest during a match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, March 17.
Dr Tobin added that he had 15 defibrillator shocks in an attempt to get his heart pumping independently but none of them worked.
Doctors say a normal life is possible for the player but it is too early to predict whether he will ever play football again.
Since being taken to The London Chest Hospital Muamba has been able to speak with family and friends.
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