BIRMINGHAM - Aston Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov has reportedly retired from football after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia.The Bulgarian international was at Villa Park on Saturday to watch his side take on Chelsea and will start treatment for the illness in a London hospital on Monday. But the midfielder, who has been at Villa for six years, earlier revealed he will not play again.‘Football is over, this is the end,’ he was quoted as saying in the Bulgarian daily newspaper Tema Sport. ‘I am now beginning to fight for my life and I will fight.’Petrov, 32, who had been capped 105 times by Bulgaria, said he had felt a strange headache during the first half of Villa’s 3-0 defeat by Arsenal last Saturday and the team doctor had even suggested a half-time substitution. ‘I lost my energy early in the second half and it was very unusual for me,’ he said. ‘But this is life, you see we drank a coffee in London a week ago and now we’re talking about things like this. ‘I’ll fight, it’s clear and I also would like to thank everyone for the support from all around the world.’Petrov also revealed he is taking inspiration from Fabrice Muamba. Petrov released a statement shortly after arriving at the ground, thanking the football community for their support.Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest during a FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham a fortnight ago, but has defied expectation in his recovery at the London Chest Hospital.Petrov revealed a picture of Muamba sitting up in bed released had inspired him, along with numerous well-wishes, to get back to health.
