- LISTEN to It’s All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: Should Jude Bellingham be dropped by Gareth Southgate?
- A former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder suffered a heart attack last week
- The player in question is reportedly considering retirement due to the issue
A former Tottenham and Newcastle star is considering retirement after suffering a cardiac arrest last week, according to reports.
On Thursday, French club Lille confirmed that Nabil Bentaleb had been hospitalised due to an ‘illness’ and revealed he was being taken care of at Lille University Hospital.
However, new reports now claim that the Algerian international in fact suffered a heart attack and is now contemplating hanging up his boots for good.
According to RMC Sport, a defibrillator was even necessary at the time accompanied by cardiac massage before the 29-year-old underwent surgery.
The outlet further claim that Bentaleb’s surgery was successful and, during which, he was fitted with a pacemaker to stabilize his cardiac activity.
However, despite the successful operation, the Federation of French Football will make a decision over his future and there are suggestions that Bentaleb could retire due to the incident.
Click here to resize this module
His contract at Lille runs until 2026 and discussions should take place with insurance companies to find a solution for the situation.
In a statement on the club website, they confirmed: ‘Hospitalized since last Tuesday at Lille University Hospital, Nabil Bentaleb has since carried out several examinations and health checks which have been reassuring.
‘The LOSC midfielder is still under observation in hospital but could return home during the week.
‘The Club is delighted with this reassuring news that it is able to communicate today and will naturally continue to provide its full support in this ordeal to Nabil and his loved ones.
‘LOSC and Nabil would like to thank everyone who provided the many expressions of support’.
After discovering the news of his ‘illness’ last week, Tottenham’s X account responded to Lille’s post and said: ‘We’re all with you, Nabil.’
Bentaleb was formerly part of the academy set-up at Lille before he joined Spurs’ youth ranks in 2012. He then earned his senior debut the following year.
The Algerian made 66 appearances in total for the club before signing for Schalke in a permanent deal in 2017 following a successful season-long loan.
He scored 19 goals in 107 appearances for the club and returned to the Premier League for a brief loan spell at Newcastle United in 2020.
Bentaleb eventually left Schalke and moved to Ligue 1 outfit Angers for one season before settling on a switch to Lille, his current club, last summer.
Earning 66 caps for his country, Bentaleb has represented Algeria at the 2014 World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, 2017 and 2023.