Anwar Ali (Jr) and five other footballers who have suffered heart scares

Anwar Ali (Jr)’s career has come to a sudden halt. The promising defender has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

The 19-year-old centre-back first rose to prominence during the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Since then, Ali has made 34 I- League appearances for (AIFF)’s developmental team Indian Arrows in the last two seasons during his loan spell from Mumbai City FC.

Ali has been projected as the front-runner to take the central defender’s role in the Indian team, but recent developments has cast a serious doubt on his football career.

“Yes, a medical condition has been detected. We are in the process of taking him abroad for an expert opinion from someone who is renowned in similar cases. We’re arranging an appointment with top doctors in France, and will hopefully get a clear picture by the end of this month. We are communicating with Mumbai City in this regard,” said Abhishek Yadav, former India international and the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) director of national teams.

Anwar Ali (Jr) is not the only football player to have suffered a heart scare.

One of the most known cases of such a catastrophe in football history is that of Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe. Foe died of heart attack while playing for the Indomitable Lions against Colombia in the semi-finals of the 2003 Confederations Cup.

Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas is the latest international player to have suffered a heart attack with his club FC Porto during a recent training session. While Anwar Ali’s exact condition is still unclear, football fans in India are hoping that Ali makes a quick recovery and returns to action soon.

Let’s look at five footballers who have suffered heart problems but returned to action after recovery.

#1. Nwankwo Kanu

Kanu had surgery in 1996, just weeks after he helped Nigeria win gold at the Olympics

The former Arsenal star’s first open-heart surgery was in 1996 after a routine medical examination at Inter Milan revealed a serious heart defect. Nwankwo Kanu returned to action following a six month recovery.

He would go on to win the Uefa Cup at Inter before moving to Arsenal, where he won two Premier Leagues and two FA Cups. Capped 86 times by Nigeria, he played for them at three World Cups and was twice named African player of the year.

Kanu ‘s heart problem inspired him to setup the Kanu Heart Foundation in 2000. The foundation has saved countless lives of children from underprivileged backgrounds in Africa.

The former striker currently works as an ambassador for the Nigeria Football Federation and he also works for Fifa as an ambassador.

#2. Sami Khedira

Khedira is a fan favorite in Turin Italy's flawed genius Enter caption

The Juventus midfielder withdrew from the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid after it was discovered that the star was suffering from atrial arrhythmia. The condition causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate.

The Germany international underwent surgery to correct the defect and was able to resume activity within one month.

Sami Khedira, who joined Juventus from Real Madrid in 2015, has enjoyed a glittering career thus far, winning a Bundesliga title with Stuttgart, a La Liga title and a UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, and three Serie A titles with Juventus.

#3. Antonio Cassano

The former AC Milan striker fainted at an airport and was diagnosed with cerebral ischemia caused by a heart condition. After undergoing successful surgery, he continued his football career without any issues.

From there, Antonio Cassano became somewhat of a journeyman, turning out for Inter, Parma, Sampdoria and Verona in the final throes of his career.

Capped 39 times for Italy, Cassano never truly reached the heights his early potential hinted at. His time at Real Madrid was marred by endless parties, poor eating habits and a lavish playboy lifestyle. Cassano ended his career with just two domestic titles- a La Liga title with Real Madrid and a Seria A title with AC Milan- a career that promised so much more but delivered so little.

#4. Dani Carvajal

Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal has won three UEFA Champions League titles in Spain.

The Real Madrid right-back suffered acute pericarditis, a condition affecting the membrane enclosing the heart. The condition can cause severe chest pain, as well as major discomfort in the shoulders and neck.

Dani Carvajal initially feared his heart condition would force him to retire but resumed duties at the club after a successful treatment period.

Speaking to Diario Madridista, he said: "I was scared and I thought that, if it was serious, I would have to retire,

"The first three or four weeks were the worst because I practically couldn't do anything, I couldn't raise my heart rate in any way and it was very low."

The Spanish full-back is a product of Real Madrid's youth system. Lack of first-team opportunities forced him to move to Bayer Leverkusen. Madrid had inserted a buy-back clause in his contract. Following a successful season with Leverkusen, Madrid quickly seized upon the opportunity to reel Carvajal back in.

Since returning to Madrid, he has helped Los Blancos complete a historic Champions League hat-trick.

#5. Angel Correa

Angel Correa has long been a trusted servant of Diego Simeone.

The Atlético Madrid winger underwent a heart operation in 2014 to remove a cyst in his left ventricle. The heart condition was detected during during a routine medical exam ahead of Angel Correa's transfer to Atletico. However, that did not stop Diego Simone from signing the winger for a fee in the region of £6m from San Lorenzo. Correa returned to action after six months.

Correa recently committed his future to Atletico by signing a new contract that runs till 2024, underlining Correa's importance in Simeone's side.

Edited by S Chowdhury