Wenger in 'massive shock' as Arsenal manager lauds Muamba

By Dominic King for the Daily Mail

Published: 06:09 EST, 19 March 2012 | Updated: 17:09 EST, 19 March 2012

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who took on Fabrice Muamba as a schoolboy 10 years ago, admitted on Monday he just wants to see him smile again.

Wenger said: 'This is, of course, a massive shock to us all and we just hope that Fabrice will pull through safely.

'You pray that the damage will be repaired and that Fabrice will come out healthy and we will see his smile again. That is all you wish for.

'As a man, Fabrice has a positive attitude towards life, he is full of determination and has a great desire. Everyone at Arsenal has huge respect for Fabrice.

'Even after he left us, he often passed by to say hello and speak about how it was going for him. We feel very deeply attached to him. When he was younger, he had massive players in front of him at Arsenal, but I felt he had reached the level to play in the Premier League, so we let him go and he has proved his quality.

'A football player always remains attached to where he was educated. Fabrice had his friends from childhood here and they remain your friends forever.

'We are all thinking of Fabrice, his family and everyone close to him.'

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, an England Under 21 team-mate of Muamba’s said: ‘Fab is a really smart lad, great to have around the squad. He was somebody I looked up to and respected.

‘I cannot believe this has happened to him and I just wish him and his family all the very best.’