Valenciennes defender David Sommeil has been allowed to leave intensive care nearly three weeks after suffering a heart attack while training, a club spokesman has said.

The 34-year-old player, who collapsed during a training session for the French first division side on August 20, has been told he can look forward to a full, albeit long, recovery.

Sommeil, who joined Valenciennes from Manchester City last season, underwent a battery of cardiology tests before being tranferred to a rehabilitation centre. Doctors evaluated his progress as "slow but stable".

Sommeil was admitted to hospital unconscious and awoke partially on August 26. He was declared clinically awake on 4 September, although he was unable to make any sounds.