Luton boss says Lockyer collapse was scariest moment of his life

Luton boss Rob Edwards describes the on-field cardiac arrest experienced by Tom Lockyer at Bournemouth last weekend as the most frightening moment of his life.

Luton’s captain, Tom Lockyer, aged 29, collapsed during the second half of the match, leading to his hospitalization and the subsequent abandonment of the game.

He was released from the hospital on Thursday after undergoing the fitting of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) device.

“It was the scariest moment I have ever had, never mind in football,” said Edwards.

“The medical guys were incredible. It was a crazy pressurised situation with the world watching and they got every decision bang on. I’m so proud of them. They saved him.

“Our medical guys, Bournemouth’s, the paramedics that were there, they are real heroes.”

Luton’s chief executive, Gary Sweet, also commended the efforts of the medical professionals who attended to Lockyer.

“It took two minutes from the point of going down to be resuscitated. It’s impressive, the actions of those protocols which ultimately saved him,” he said.

“They are all heroes. We cannot thank them enough.”

Sweet added that dealing with the incident this week has been a learning experience for everyone at the club.

“We’ve never done this before. It’s all learning for us. It’s thrown so many challenges our way and it’s been one very big challenge this week. This has all been about team spirit and gathering around Tom,” he said.

“The fact he was being taken home by people we know and was in safe hands gave us a sense of relief.”

An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is a compact, battery-powered device implanted in the chest to identify and halt irregular heartbeats. It administers electric shocks as necessary to restore a normal heart rhythm.

Both former Manchester United defender Daley Blind and current Red Devils midfielder Christian Eriksen have undergone the placement of this device in recent years and have been able to resume playing.

Luton clarified that Lockyer’s recent cardiac arrest differed from his previous collapse in the Championship play-off final in May, where he experienced atrial fibrillation—an NHS-described condition involving an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. Despite this, he received medical clearance to return to playing in June following heart surgery.

Edwards says it is “too early to tell” what impact his latest collapse will have on his playing career.

“He’s recovering, it’s baby steps now. Anyone will miss him. He’s a leader, he’s an inspirational figure for all of us,” Edwards told a news conference.

“It’s too early to tell [on Lockyer’s playing career]. Going forward it’s about Tom recovering. He’s had an operation and then we’ll see going forward what that means.”

Edwards states that the team is prepared to “do it for Locks” when they resume Premier League action against Newcastle on Saturday. However, he emphasizes that the players are not taking advantage of Lockyer’s situation for personal benefit.

“I’ve been careful not to be seen to be using it. It is about what Locks would want,” he said.

“We are a tight-knit group, we have to look after each other and come together even more than we already are.

“We do want to do it for Locks, but that’s coming from the right place as well. It can’t be selfish and I’ve been really keen to stress that.”