Tom Lockyer has said he will put his family’s feelings first when making a decision on whether or not he will return to football following his cardiac arrest in December 2023.
Luton Town’s match against Bournemouth late last year came to a gruesome halt when the defender collapsed on the pitch for the second time in a matter of months.
After suffering atrial fibrillation at Wembley in the Championship play-off final in May, Lockyer returned to football to captain his team in their first season in the Premier League.
However, fans couldn’t believe their eyes when he fell to the ground at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, with the match effectively canceled and rescheduled for mid-March.
Discussing the incident in December, Lockyer said he was “technically dead” for two minutes and 40 seconds and thanked doctors for “resuscitating” him on the field.
WARNING: Disturbing images below
Tom Lockyer has said he will put his family’s feelings first when making a decision on whether or not he will return to football following his cardiac arrest in December 2023.
It “breaks her heart to think that she may not have been there to welcome her baby into the world.”
speaking to bbc breakfast On a possible return to football, Lockyer said: “On the one hand, I am eternally grateful that, if I have to retire, I am very lucky to be able to play in the Premier League, score in the Premier League, represent my country, all these amazing things.
“But on the other hand, I’m like, ‘I’d love it a little more.'” Obviously I wouldn’t go against any medical advice, but it’s too early to say yet and there are bigger things on the horizon with the baby now.
“I would have to talk to the family before considering returning to professional football; my focus is on the baby now.”
Lockyer went on to talk about the moment his girlfriend saw him fall during Luton’s clash with Bournemouth, stating that “she knew instantly it was serious.”
“My girlfriend and my dad were at the game,” Lockyer said. “She was looking at me when it happened, because the ball was somewhere else and she had seen me fall.
‘He said he instantly knew it was something serious. Her friend, who he was with, said he let out a huge scream that he would live with her forever.
The Luton defender says it breaks his heart to think he may not have been there to welcome his little girl into the world.
Lockyer says he will be “forever grateful” to the medical professionals who were available to help resuscitate him.
“Without them, people who were incredible under pressure, I wouldn’t be here today and I wouldn’t be lucky enough to be waiting to welcome a baby girl into the world,” he said.
“And the thought of leaving my girlfriend (who is pregnant) alone to raise a child is heartbreaking. So I’m very grateful to still be here.”
Even though the event occurred almost months ago, the reason why it happened is still unclear, much to Lockyer’s despair.
But he takes comfort in talking to other players who have suffered heart problems, including Christian Eriksen, who suffered a heart attack on the field during Denmark’s European Championship match against Finland.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Lockyer said: “I wish I could tell you (why) because ever since I looked back I thought it could be this or that, but it was just a normal day and the most worrying thing is that I felt completely fine.”
‘Like I said, I’ve been searching and searching for answers. It was just another day at the office and everything was going well until what happened happened.
Luton Town’s match against Bournemouth late last year came to a gruesome halt when the defender collapsed on the pitch for the second time in a matter of months.
Discussing the incident in December, Lockyer said he was “technically dead” for two minutes and 40 seconds and thanked doctors for “resuscitating” him on the field.
He admitted he was “lucky” to collapse where he did, with medical staff around.
“I spoke to Eriksen, Daly Blind and Charlie Wyke, who all had similar heart conditions and one thing similar about all of them was that they took their time to process what happened. I don’t know if I have processed it but maybe because we, as athletes, are able to face things differently and compartmentalize.
‘I know I literally died, but since then I’ve been pretty numb to the whole thing. The common thing with them was to take their time and do what is right for you and your family, the baby will be born soon and that is my priority.
Lockyer has been fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). This is designed to restart her heart instantly if a similar situation occurs again.
“It took me a while to get used to it, because it’s a lot bigger than I thought,” Lockyer told the BBC. “But it doesn’t affect my golf swing, I’m still rubbish.”
Fans were thrilled when the game was canceled and the match was rearranged in March.