clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Fabrice Muamba Says Bolton Need Someone Exciting & Strong-Minded

Fabrice Muamba is a busy man at the moment. The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder, who was forced into early retirement, has spoken out about what he wants to see from Bolton's new manager.

Michael Steele - Getty Images

Fab has been in the news a lot as of late. The former Bolton Wanderers midfielder wants a FIFA job, he's appeared at leadership conferences, and is campaigning for heart health. Somehow in his busy schedule, Fabrice has found the time to share his thoughts on Bolton Wanderers and their ongoing hunt for a new manager.

"Hopefully the chairman (Phil Gartside) and (owner) Eddie Davies will bring in someone who's very exciting and someone who comes in and makes sure the changing room is back to normality.

"Then hopefully we'll get promoted. We need to be back up there (the Premier League) this time next year, but it will take somebody to come in who is very strong minded, a very disciplined person to bring the team back up again.

"We need to be back up there (the Premier League) this time next year, but it will take somebody to come in who is very strong minded, a very disciplined person to bring the team back up again."

"It's hard to see it happen to Owen but, as they say, this is football. People come and go, that's football life. If you're not doing the job up to the standards then someone will come in and do it for you.

"Regarding the football side, if we frankly look at the players we have, the way we've been playing isn't up to standard. The person who gets most of the blame is the manager because he's in charge of the team."

Fabrice seems to pretty aligned with not only the fan base but also in the direction that the ownership wants to go.

Elsewhere, Fabrice returned to the Reebok Stadium on Monday as part of Hearts and Goals, a year-long campaign that Bolton Wanderers are running in collaboration with the Arrhythmia Alliance and the Heart Rhythm Charity. Speaking after the event, he discussed life after playing professional football:

"I haven't come here (the Reebok Stadium) as much as I would have liked to come here because I find it hard to watch football sometimes," he said.

"I get very frustrated and I get very angry. I question myself, 'why me?', but I just have to accept the fact that it's never going to be the same again.

"At the same time, I just enjoy life.

"A typical day is spending time with my family and I do the stuff I wasn't able to do when I was regularly playing football - going to different places, meeting different people and learning different life skills."

We feel for you, Fabrice, and we know that watching Bolton Wanderers these last 19 months isn't making things easier. Hopefully with a new, strong-minded manager, it's all up from here.