KEVIN Davies admits Fabrice Muamba ’s retirement is a blow to Wanderers – but has backed his former team-mate to make a success of his future career.

The Wanderers skipper paid tribute to the 24-year-old, who announced on Wednesday that he was hanging up his boots on medical advice, five months after going into cardiac arrest on the pitch at Tottenham.

Although Davies says Muamba will be missed on the pitch, he believes the club would welcome him back in a coaching or ambassadorial capacity.

But for now, the striker hopes his friend will use the foreseeable future to make the right choices on his next move.

“I sent him a text yesterday just to say that everything happens for a reason,” he said.

“We’d have liked to have him back because he’s a top quality player. We’ll miss him around the dressing room and hopefully he’ll come back and do something at the club.

“He’s got his head screwed on and he’s different from some of the younger players because he looks after his money and he’s got great family support. He’ll need that over the coming weeks because I’m sure it was a difficult decision to make.

“Hopefully, he’ll realise that it was the right thing to do.

“If you’ve followed him on Twitter over the last few weeks he’s been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride, meeting people, making good contacts, so now he can decide where to go.”

Davies revealed that Muamba had been talking confidently of a playing return just days before the announcement was made.

“He had that twinkle in his eye and the last time I talked to him he’d had a bit of good news because he’d been speaking to Kal Fadiga, who had been successful with a similar condition,” he said.

“He thought it could be treatable but the decision has been made by the experts, and it’s the right decision in my view because it’s just great to see him right and alive.”