After having his life saved by a pitch-side defibrillator, a Chippenham Town FC defender has been told he will still be able to play football. 

Pablo Martinez suffered a cardiac arrest 30 minutes into the game with Chelmsford City on August 13 but was resuscitated after his heart had briefly stopped.

The 21-year-old was given CPR on the pitch before being shocked with the club’s defibrillator, which helped return the former Bristol Rovers player to consciousness.

He was then taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

The Bluebirds' next game against Oxford Town, which was due to take place on Tuesday, was cancelled following the incident. 

Now the club has released an official statement, and it bears good news for Pablo Martinez. 

It said: "The Club can announce that having undergone various hospital tests, we understand that Pablo is to be fitted with a small heart monitor following last Saturday’s incident. The good news is that he has been told there is no reason why he should not play football again and, after surgery, there is an expectation he will be allowed home this weekend.

"On behalf of everyone connected with the Club and our supporters, we send Pablo our very best wishes and hope to see him around the Club soon."

Manager Gary Horgan told the Swindon Advertiser recently that the positive outcome was the result of the well-prepared nature of the club. 

Horgan said: “Until something like this happens, you don’t realise how prepared the football club is.

“The on-site medics and club doctor, and even within the team, we’ve got lads who are recently first-aid trained. As a team and a club, it just goes to show how well-prepared we were for something of that scale.

“But absolutely, if we hadn’t had the defibrillator in that type of scenario then I think we would have been looking at a very different type of scenario.”

These sentiments were echoed by club chairman Neil Blackmore who warned all other sports cubs to consider investing in the life-saving kit. 

He said: “I would say to anybody - and not just sports clubs - that if you don’t have a defibrillator or have access to one, please get one. Do some fundraising, get a sponsor, but get one.

“It sits in the cupboard apart from when it’s being serviced, so you don’t think about it. But the day you need it, my goodness is it worth the money.”