Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has paid tribute to the London Chest Hospital staff after being discharged. The 24-year-old was technically "dead" for 78 minutes after suffering a cardiac arrest and collapsing in a game against Tottenham on 17 March and had been in hospital since then. "I am naturally very pleased to be discharged from hospital," he said. “It is absolutely fantastic news that Fabrice has been discharged from hospital and everyone at the club is delighted” said Owen Coyle manager of Bolton. "I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to every single member of staff who played a part in my care." And in a joint press release issued by the Trust and his club, the midfielder continued, "Now I am out of hospital, I am looking forward to continuing my recovery and spending precious time with my family." Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle said: "It is absolutely fantastic news that Fabrice has been discharged from hospital and everyone at the club is delighted. "We would also like to add our thanks to the staff at The London Chest Hospital for their care and treatment of Fabrice, which has been outstanding. "It is important that Fabrice and his family are now given time and space to be together, and we would ask the media to continue to respect their privacy." A spokesman for Barts Health NHS Trust said: "Barts Health can confirm that Fabrice Muamba has now been discharged following several weeks of treatment. All our staff wish him the very best in his ongoing recovery." Muamba collapsed after 41 minutes of the FA Cup quarter-final tie with Spurs and was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and 15 defibrillator shocks before he arrived at the intensive care unit of the heart attack centre at the London Chest Hospital. Last month, Trotters club doctor Jonathan Tobin said: "It was 48 minutes when he collapsed to reaching hospital and a further 30 minutes after that. He was, in effect, dead at that time. "We feared the worst and didn't think we would get the recovery we had. It's incredible." Former England Under-21 international Muamba was helped on the pitch by Dr Andrew Deaner, consultant cardiologist at London Chest Hospital, who was at the game as a fan, and ran out of the stands to lend his expertise.