MARK FISH: I stopped breathing. My daughter saw angels around me. But I'm fine now. And I'll be at Manchester United legends game

On the road to recovery: Fish and me

South African football legend Mark Fish is “doing great” in hospital in Vereeniging, South Africa today after suffering from chest pains on Saturday evening.

Fish had difficulty breathing at his home on the banks of the Vaal River, complaining of chronic back pains. He was rushed to hospital by his partner Salome van Rensburg and a friend.

This morning  the father of four underwent tests and emerged “feeling fine” with Salome saying: “He’s so chilled it’s shocking!”

Speaking after his procedure this morning Fish told me: “I’ve been having problems with my back for some time. On Saturday, my lips went blue, my body went white. I was struggling to breathe. Salome and her friend Nadia, 10kg lighter than me, had to take me to the hospital. You can imagine!

“On the way I stopped breathing. I don’t remember any of that. My daughter said there were angels around me, then she said: "You'll be fine daddy".

“I’ve had an angiogram and some other tests, tubes and dye and things like that. The doctors are saying my heart’s fine. They said I've got fantastic lungs, but told me to stop smoking. I bet they’ll say the same to you! They can’t find anything wrong, nothing.

“But look, this was a warning. I haven’t been doing the right things. I have to change my life-style. I started swimming but nothing hectic. Used to gym three times a week, been doing none of that. You know what’s it been like, I’ve been fixated on business… and stress. That isn’t good for any of us.

Happier times: on air with Mark Fish, left

“But I’m feeling great now. I’ll show my face at the Orlando Pirates versus Manchester United legends game on Saturday out of respect to Senzo Meyiwa but I won’t be playing.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be back on my feet in no time.”

Fish, 40, starred in both Bafana Bafana’s only AFCON triumph and Orlando Pirates’ only African Champions League victory in the 1990s before taking his skills as a towering central defender to Europe.

Most recently the former Lazio, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic star became a household name for his role as a captain opposite Springbok rugby skipper Corne Krige in the South African reality show “Survivor”.

Though listed on the official facebook page as one of the players, he will not be able to play for the Pirates Legends on Saturday against Paul Scholes and company but is eager to "show my face" if he gets the all-clear from medical experts.

Stricken Fabrice Muamba showing "small signs of improvement"

BOLTON'S Fabrice Muamba remains in hospital "but is showing small signs of improvement" after collapsing against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday - and his Wanderers team-mates will decide over the next 48 hours whether to continue their FA Cup journey without him.

According to the club, Muamba is still "critically ill in intensive care"  at the London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green after suffering what appeared to be a massive heart attack.

But his heart is now beating without the help of medication and he is also moving his arms and his legs. There are unconfirmed reports that he spoke to a friend from his hospital bed tonight.

The statement added that Muamba's long-term prognosis remains unclear and he will continue to be closely monitored. A statement release tonight at 7pm, 9pm South African time, said: "Fabrice Muamba is able to breathe without a ventilator, he has been able to recognise family members & respond to questions."

One source suggested his heart "had stopped four times" and that it took two hours to get the organ beating once more.

With the entire footballing world offering their sympathy, tomorrow's Premier League clash against Aston Villa is already postponed. Boss Owen Coyle said: "The players wouldn't be in any fit state to play. Football pales into insignificance at this time."

His captain Kevin Davies said: "Patrice is a natural athlete, box to box. There are not many stronger than him in the Premier League. He's a great lad. Hopefully, in true Bolton style, he will fight against the odds and come through."

Saturday’s match against Blackburn at the Reebok could be called off too. Rovers manager Steve Kean told the BBC: "We hope he makes a full recovery but, if they need a little bit more time and the game doesn't go ahead, we would respect that from Bolton's point of view.”

According to The Sun this morning, Bolton are considering withdrawing for the FA Cup altogether, even though a semi-final appearance – against Chelsea, if they were to beat Spurs in a replay - would be a rarity for the Lancashire club. Reports suggest the players are divided. Some want to play and win as a tribute to Muamba while others simply don’t want to return to the scene of his heart-rending collapse.

World Cup final referee Howard Webb reacted swiftly to the incident on Saturday, calling the game off after 41 minutes as a crowd of medics and physios attempted for six minutes to resuscitate the midfielder capped 33 times by England’s Under 21 boss Stuart Pearce.

Spurs star Rafael van der Vaart, visibly distressed and close to tears when Muamba fell to the floor, tweeted: "Terrible what happened to Fabrice during the game. We're all praying for him.

 "He just fell on the ground and it look like he died. They got him back but then he faded away again.... it was very quiet in the dressing room afterwards"

Injured Bolton team-mate Stuart Holden added: "Praying for you Fab. Waiting anxiously for updates. Fab is a fighter!"

At the age of just 23, the man born in Kinshasa is not the first to collapse on the field of play. Over 30 have died since 2003 when Cameroon’s Marc Vivien Foe collapsed in France and died from what was later diagnosed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Today a new hero emerged when I became apparent that a Dr Andrew Deaner – a Spurs fans watching in the stands - ran on to the pitch and began treating Muamba with the medical staff at Spurs. Dr Deaner is a consultant cardiologist at the London Chest Hospital.

Muamba was rushed to the hospital with his coach Coyle and captain Davies alongside him in the ambulance. His condition is now listed as stable, though onlookers say “he was not breathing”. One said: "He didn't even put his hands out when he fell".

Muamba went down with “nobody near him” four minutes before half-time with the score locked at 1-1. A defibrilitor was used in an attempt to revive Muamba on the field, while one medic tried to administer mouth-to-mouth.

Fans from both sides stood and chanted Muamba’s name as he was carried off on a stretcher, still having his chest pumped, and Twitter was immediately awash with well-wishers, from Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand to former team-mate Jack Wilshere.

Spurs fan Terry Hunt, who witnessed the incident, said: “Muamba just collapsed. When he went down all the players immediately realised it was a serious problem. There was an eery silence around the ground. The medics did all they possibly could to bring him around.

“There was no appetite to continue the game. The medical teams were superb. We just hope the guy pulls through. It’s such a tragedy for one so young. I feel for his family. For Bolton Wanderers.

“On the train going home, everyone just wanted to know how he was doing.”

Muamba came to England as an 11-year-old after his father left what was then Zaire as a refugee after an uncle had been murdered. He was spotted by Arsene Wenger within a year and spent four years with Liam Brady in the Arsenal academy.

He was a bright lad too, gaining three A levels at Kelmscott School in north London despite being unable to speak English when he arrived in the country. Though he didn't break in to the Arsenal first team, he successfully moved to Birmingham City and then Bolton after he gained citizenship. He has played for England at every level from Under 16 to Under 21 with a total of 57 caps at all levels.

England international Jack Wilshere, who played on loan with Muamba at Bolton, tweeted: "Hope Muamba is okay. Thoughts with him."

Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte, who played in the Arsenal youth team with Muamba, said: "I seriously hope my best friend in football is OK. Stay strong bro please please stay strong. God is with you, remember that."

Shauna Muganda, 27, mother of Fabrice's three-year-old son Joshua, is at his bedside with parents Marcel and Gertude and told The Sun this morning: "God is in control."

Battle of the Gunslingers: Wilshere the kid has the edge over Vieira the veteran... but City win, Pompey lose their Grant

MANCHESTER CITY'S predictable 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers, courtesy of a Carlos Tevez penalty and an Emmanuel Adebayor clincher, equally predictably left Owen Coyle fuming.

But those of us of an north London bent were more intrigued by the midfield battle of Gunslingers: the veteran Patrick Vieira, recently arrived at Eastlands from Inter Milan, against Luke Wilshere, on loan from Vieira's old club Arsenal.

French World Cup-winner Vieira, born in Senegal 33 years ago, still has the height but lacks the legs of his Arsenal heydays next to Emmanuel Petit and Gilberto Silva. He looked, in his second appearance back in the Premier League, like the fire which once blazed so brightly had gone out.

Yet there he was, shuffling around the pitch ahead of the superb Steve Ireland. Curious.

Wilshere, making his first start for Bolton, was dynamic, busy and feisty as he eagerly sought to help Wanderers recover from the early penalty.

It came when the excellent Adam Johnson, the former Middlesbrough winger with one eye on a shock place in England's World Cup squad, was brought down by Paul Robinson.

But in the end it was Vieira's inch-perfect long-ball for another former Arsenal man, Emmanuel Adebayor, that clinched it as the Togo striker, caught up in the Cabinda shootings, made it 2-0 with a brilliant finish.

And that was it. Game, set and match to Vieira, despite his advancing years. Shortly afterwards Wilshere was taken off in the 77th minute - with Andy Gray admitting on Sky: "He brings quality to this side. He's a neat, tidy footballer."

Makes you wonder why the young Englishman isn't still at the Emirates Stadium playing ahead of expensive foreign non-entities like Denilson, Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri. But who am I to tell Arsene Wenger how to pick his side?

Vieira said: "It was hard but do I look that old? Obviously we're strong enough to finish in the top four."

Coyle, who abandoned Burnley for Bolton in January, felt his side were denied two penalties and claimed: "All the decisions went against us."

At Portsmouth, boss Avram Grant was sent off in their 1-1 draw against Sunderland. Grant, caught up in a Thai Massage row in recent days, rubbed referee Kevin Friend up the wrong way after seeing Ricardo Rocha sent off.

Friend originally showed Algerian Hassan Yebda the red card for the challenge which led to Darren Bent's goal (above) from the penalty spot - but, as a true Friend should do, he did the right thing and sent off the right man. But Grant was fuming and his half-time rant was enough to consign him to the grandstand, where he struggled to find a seat.

Sunderland had Cattermole sent off in the second half but even with ten versus ten, rock-bottom Pompey, facing a winding-up order today, couldn't find the net.

It was only when David Mayler's dismissal left Sunderland with nine they found the space for Jamie O'Hara to set up Aruna Dindane for the late, late equaliser.

Grant gathered his players in a huddle at the whistle and said: "I cannot fight against all the world."

Fulham had few problems, scoring three without reply against Burnley, much to my old coach Roy Hodgson's relief. Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby "Bobatov" Zamora got the goals at Craven Cottage.

Hardly a shock result though. Burnley last triumphed at Fulham when they were both Third Division clubs in October, 1980. Burnley's first scorer in a 2-0 win that night was an 18-year-old Brian Laws - now a very worried manager on the way home to Turf Moor.

At the JJB, Wigan went ahead through Paul Scharner but Tuncay levelled for Stoke in a 1-1 draw.

Oh, and what about the much-neglected Johnsons Paints Northern final? Leeds, slowly subsiding after their FA Cup shock over Manchester United, contrived to lose it and Carlisle will go to Wembley despite losing the match 3-2 on the night.

That result left the tie at 4-4 after extra-time and Carlisle won the penalty shoot-out 6-5 in sudden-death with defender Shane Lowry, on loan from Aston Villa, having the crucial spot-kick blocked by Adam Collin.

Greg Abbott, clearly in shock, said afterwards: "We have competed against a massive club and won. The penalty shoot-out was pretty scary but that's Carlisle all over."

Southampton join them in the final after being MK Dons 3-1 in the Southern Final at St Mary's to take the tie 4-1 on aggregate.

Best story of the night? West Brom - 2-0 winners against Scunthorpe - went top of the Championship on goal difference from Newcastle, beaten 3-0, yes 3-0 at Derby. What? The Rams were 18th in the table! Surely the Toon can't mess up their promotion charge now?