Trossard 'devastated' in emotional interview after Brighton teammate's early retirement

The Premier League received a shock when it was announced the Zambia international was retiring at the age of 24 due to an hereditary heart condition.

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The issue was picked up while Mwepu was away with his national side and taken ill, later returning to Brighton where he was told the condition 'could worsen over time'.

A club statement further added that Brighton's record signing - a £20million arrival from Red Bull Salzburg in 2021 - is at 'extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event' if he were to continue playing competitive football.

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New Seagulls manager Roberto De Zerbi and owner Tony Bloom expressed their sadness at the news, and Mwepu's Belgian midfield teammate Trossard has since opened up to talkSPORT.

"I personally was devastated," he said. "It's nothing you want to hear if you're a football player, let alone if you're only 24 years old.

"He has a young family as well, if you hear that one day the thing you love doing the most just comes to an end, that's a huge blow.

"Obviously I sent him a message that my door will always be open if he wants to chat and I think everyone will, he can always come to the ground if he wants to chat or just be around us and that will help him in a way as well maybe.

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"At the moment he needs to take his time to process it with his family and I think we should give him that time as well."

Speaking to talkSPORT's Jim White, who noticed the emotion in Trossard's voice, the Belgian explained why it hit him so hard.

"Yeah [I'm very emotional] because Enock is a lovely guy," he said.

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"He's always smiling, you can have a good chat with him as well, like I said it's heartbreaking that he got it.

"You never want someone to get this but at the age of 24 it's really, really young, and that it will end his career is even more sad.

"Obviously some players like [Christian] Eriksen can still play, but he got the news that he can't play, one of the things he loves the most, and that's a tough one I think."