Bafetimbi Gomis reassures Swansea fans after collapsing during defeat to Tottenham Hotspur

Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis has moved to reassure fans he is feeling fine after fainting during the narrow defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on 4 March.

The striker, who has put a difficult January transfer window behind him and played a prominent role for Garry Monk's side since the high-profile sale of Wilfried Bony to Manchester City, played just 12 minutes at White Hart Lane before collapsing and he required lengthy treatment and oxygen before being substituted.

Supporters and players from both teams appeared understandably concerned with Gomis's welfare, yet the France international has insisted that the incident looked worse than it actually was and claimed that it was caused by a mixture of stress and fatigue, rather than his well-documented vasovagal condition.

"I wanted to reassure you concerning my health, it actually looks much more scary than physically dangerous and I am feeling well now," he tweeted after the match.

"I have been under a great deal of stress and fatigue due to my father's health that requires me to go back and forth to France. I was disappointed that I couldn't help my team tonight but now everything is back in order."

This was not the first time Gomis has collapsed on a football pitch but he was understandably eager to thank those who had supported him and showed such genuine concern after his latest fall that evoked painful memories from 2012, when former Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest during an FA Cup quarter-final on the same ground.

He added: "I also want to thank everyone for their support and get well messages."

Gomis wanted to continue after collapsing

Gomis was replaced by Nelson Oliveira after being stretchered off by paramedics, yet Swansea manager Monk subsequently revealed the striker wanted to keep playing.

"He is fine. Coming off the pitch he was fine, talking and he actually wanted to stay on the pitch," Monk was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail after seeing his side slip to their second defeat to Tottenham this season. "It's something that we're well aware of and it's part of his history, but obviously he's had all the checks.

"We knew about this when he came to the club. He's had all the medical checks that you can possibly do and it's just part of his life. It's to do with low blood pressure. I didn't actually see the situation. Our physios went on to the pitch and they relayed the message but he was fine.

"Coming off the pitch, he was talking. He actually wanted to stay on the pitch but obviously precautionary-wise, we have to make sure that we double check everything but we're well aware of the history.

"We're all well aware of it [his condition]. He's had every single medical check that you can possibly have and he's fine. It's just part of his life."

Swansea put up a brave fight in north London after Gomis's departure, with Ki Sung-yueng equalising in the 19<sup>th minute after an early setback courtesy of Belgian midfielder Nacer Chadli.

A disappointing spell after half-time saw them concede twice at the hands of Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend but former Tottenham midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson set up a nervy finish with a neat volley that beat Hugo Lloris with a minute remaining before injury time.