‘I could be dying here’ – Luton’s Lockyer on on-pitch collapse،
Luton Town defender Tom Lockyer said he feared he would die when his heart stopped and he collapsed during a Premier League match against Bournemouth in December, and added that he did not rule out returning to the sport if medically cleared.
The December 16 match was abandoned after Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest 59 minutes into the contest before spending four nights in hospital, where he had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator installed to prevent a repeat of the incident.
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It was the second time Lockyer had collapsed on the pitch away from the ball, the first time in Luton's playoff final victory in May at Wembley.
Lockyer, 29, said he knew the December incident was more serious because of the reaction of medical personnel when he arrived on the field.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “I knew instantly that this time it was different. Last time I woke up from a dream, and this time I woke up from 'nothingness, and I could see directly from the paramedics, the physiotherapists and the club doctor that there was a little more panic.
“I was a little disoriented, I couldn't speak, I couldn't move. I was trying to understand what was happening and I remember thinking, 'I could die here.'”
The defender then clarified that he “was absent” for almost three minutes.
“After this happened in May, I had a little recording device under my chest – and I was out for two minutes 40. I needed a defibrillator to send it back,” Lockyer said .
“Of course, a big thank you to the paramedics, the club doctors, everyone who was involved that day, because without them I wouldn’t be here.”
Lockyer said his father and his girlfriend, who was seven months pregnant at the time, were both present in Kenilworth Road when he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Lockyer said it's not dependent on whether he can return to play, but he remains hopeful.
“It will be dictated by the medical staff and the specialists, but what I would say is if there is an opportunity — obviously I won't do anything against the recommendations of the specialists — then I would love to do it.
“Obviously it's way too early to tell at the moment, there's a lot more testing to be done. But I wouldn't rule it out at the moment, but my priorities are with the baby.”
Lockyer spoke to other players who have returned to the field with similar heart problems, including Christian Eriksen, Daley Blind and Charlie Wyke.
“The one thing that was common to everyone was, 'Take your time to process what happened,'” Lockyer said.
“In some ways I don’t think I processed it, maybe because as athletes we are able to handle things differently and compartmentalize.
“Maybe it'll come back and bite me in the butt, but I haven't really had any emotions since, I know I literally died but I was pretty numb about it. But my girlfriend is pregnant, She will arrive soon; it’s my priority.”
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
