Fabrice Muamba walking on 24th birthday

Footballer Fabrice Muamba is continuing to make "strong and steady improvements" in his recovery from a cardiac arrest as he celebrates his 24th birthday.

Midfielder Muamba collapsed on the pitch in the first half of Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham on March 17, with the game subsequently being abandoned.

The former England Under-21 international received treatment on the field before being carried off on a stretcher and taken to the London Chest Hospital.

It has since emerged that it took 78 minutes for his heart to start working on its own again, but Muamba has made great progress since then and a week ago a picture of him sitting up in his hospital bed and smiling was posted on Twitter.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle confirmed yesterday the player was on his feet and walking around the corridors of the intensive care unit he has been staying in.

This morning - on the day Muamba turns 24 - a joint statement from the club, Barts and the London NHS Trust said:

Owen Coyle, Muamba's manager at Bolton, said:

Supporters and celebrity fans also took to Twitter to share their birthday messages for the star:

Tottenham striker Louis Saha was on the pitch when Muamba collapsed: