Former Chelsea youngster Lamisha Musonda has revealed that the 33-year-old has only a short time to live, issuing a heartfelt statement on social media saying he is “fighting his way back to health”.
Lamisha Musonda, a former Chelsea youth player, has been declared dead (Image: Chelsea FC, via Getty Images)
Former Chelsea youngster Lamisha Musonda has revealed that he has only a short time to live despite being only 33 years old. The Belgian, like his brothers Tika and Charlie, joined the West Londoners from Anderlecht in 2012 and spent two years in the Blues’ youth set-up. He eventually returned to his hometown and played for Mechelen.
After that, he played for Llagostera and Palamos in Spain’s lower league, as well as Congolese powerhouse Mazembe. He also won nine caps for Belgium Under-21s before retiring in 2020.
However, despite his young age, he admitted that he was seriously ill and was not expected to live very long. In an emotional update, he wrote: “I realized that I only had a few days left to live and that so many people were by my side. And I will always cherish those memories. Life is hard, but the scenery is beautiful.”
“Life is made up of ups and downs, and no one can truly understand the pain you go through. The past two years have been particularly difficult and challenging for me. It is with great sadness that I announce that I am struggling to regain my health.”
“This is why I have been away from social media. I have to face the facts. My health is in crisis and I am fighting to survive right now. Your support and prayers will be of great help during this time. Me and my family are fighting and I will not quit until my last breath.”
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“I was lucky to have a beautiful childhood, and I still have so much to offer. But there are so many wonderful people that I would have loved to thank in person, and the fact that I will probably never get that opportunity makes me deeply sadden.”
His first update led to a huge number of well-wishes, following which he once again expressed his gratitude on social media to those who showed support. Mr Musonda said although he did not pile on accolades, he hoped to be remembered as someone who left the right impression on those he met.
The Belgian, just 33 years old, claimed he is “struggling to regain his health” (Image: Liverpool FC, via Getty Images)
“I’m by no means a perfect person. Nobody is perfect. I also want to thank football and school for giving me real life lessons. I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t fall for the praise. But the good people I met along the way…my teammates, my teachers, my coaches, my bus driver…it’s for them. I’ll keep fighting and getting stronger. Let’s take it one day at a time.”
Musonda’s younger brother Charlie, 29, made seven appearances for Chelsea’s first team and eight on loan at Celtic. Another younger brother, Tika, retired and started scouting.
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