Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba has thanked God for his miracle recovery.

In an interview with The Sun, Muamba revealed he asked God to protect him before the cup clash, which was abandoned after his collapse.

Muamba said: "Someone up there was watching over me.

"What happened to me was really more than a miracle.

"On the morning of the game I prayed with my father and asked God to protect me - and he didn't let me down.

"I am walking proof of the power of prayer. For 78 minutes I was dead and even if I lived was expected to have suffered brain damage.

"But I'm very much alive and sitting here talking now. Someone up there was watching over me."