American football player Damar Hamlin – who collapsed mid-game after suffering from a cardiac arrest – will play professional football again, an NFL doctor has said.

Speaking on American radio station SiriusXM, Dr Thom Mayer, medical director for the NFL Players Association, guaranteed the 24-year-old’s career was far from over.

“I guarantee you, I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” he said.

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Tearful players surround Damar Hamlin

Hamlin’s heart had to be restarted twice after he suddenly fell to the ground during a match against the Cincinnati Bengals on 2 January.

His condition was listed as “critical” by doctors for almost a week, before the Buffalo Bills player started to grip people’s hands.

Since being discharged from hospital, Hamlin has thanked his fans, friends, family and medical staff for their support during his ongoing recovery.

In a video posted to Instagram around 2 February, Hamlin said: “I think it is finally time to share a few things.

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“It has been a lot to process but I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of all the love, all the support and everything that has been coming my way.”

Hamlin also announced he is teaming up with the American Heart Association, in order to kickstart “Damar Hamlin’s Three for Heart CPR challenge” which invites individuals to learn how to correctly administer CPR.

Read more:
‘Very rare – the perfect storm’: Cardiologist on what may have been behind Hamlin’s collapse

Before his cardiac arrest, a GoFundMe page was set up by Hamlin to support young people through education and sport. The page hit more than $8.6m (£7.1m) in donations after an initial goal of just $2,500 (£2,000).

On Wednesday, he accepted an award in Phoenix, Arizona, at the site of the 2023 Super Bowl game. It recognised his service to his community, NBC reported.