Tigers Legend Retires

Last updated : 22 June 2004 By Andy Beill
The 33-year-old midfielder, who has been playing for Total Network Solutions in the League of Wales, suffers from Long QT Syndrome, the same condition that claimed the life of Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe during an international match a year ago.

Brabin's last match was in February in TNS's Welsh Cup game at Connah's Quay. He was substituted in the first half after collapsing with chest pains, and results now show it would be dangerous for him to continue playing football.

He said: "During the game I felt tired and thought that it might be some sort of exhaustion because I'd been doing a bit of extra training and might have just over done things.
"I felt a bit out of breath, so I went to hospital just to have everything checked out and they told that there was an enlargement of a muscle in my heart that they were concerned about.
"I'm not having any problems now, but they told me that it was too dangerous for me to be competitive in sport or anything anymore."

Brabin joined Hull City in January 1999 after previous spells at Kirkby, Stockport, Gateshead, Runcorn, Doncaster, Bury, Blackpool and Lincoln. He was an instrumental part of Warren Joyce's 'great escape' team, as well as Brian Little's side that reached the play-offs two years later. He made just under 100 league appearances in a Tigers shirt, scoring 9 goals.

However, he was part of the exodus that followed the play-off failure, and he went on to have short stints at Boston, Torquay and Chester before joining TNS in 2002.

For more information on Long QT Syndrome click here.