The 24-year-old needed 78 minutes of resuscitation after collapsing on the pitch while playing for Wanderers against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in March.

"I died, literally. I am alive," he told The Times. "There is nothing now to be in fear of."

After-effects

The former England Under-21 international is continuing his recovery in defiance of predictions he was likely to suffer significant brain damage.

He continues to suffer from the after-effects of his ordeal, however.

"I've still got a long way to go with my memory and it frustrates me," he said.

"Obviously my brain is not as it used to be because there are things missing.

"My memory is literally all over the place.

"I will talk to [fiancee] Shauna, ask her about someone. Five minutes later I'll ask the same question."

Muamba has been saddened by the deaths of two sportsmen since his own incident - Livorno player Piermario Morosini, who collapsed on the pitch, and Norwegian swimmer Alexander Dale Oen.

Muamba said: "Three times in sports in the last few months? Unbelievable. There has to be a way of stopping this.

"Morosini in Italy, that shocked me big time. I watched it on YouTube. It was mind-blowing. I said to myself, 'This was me not so long ago'."

Intervention

Muamba's fiancee Shauna revealed the intervention of Jonathan Tobin, Bolton's club doctor, twice stopped the medics from giving up during the period of resuscitation.

She said: "It was only the personal relationship between Dr Tobin and Fabrice that kept them going. Dr Tobin told me that."

She added: "They thought about stopping twice. Dr Tobin said, 'No, let's try again'. And they kept on trying until they saved his life."