fbpx
Connect with us

English Premier League

Tom Lockyer shows defibrillator fitted into his chest after his cardiac arrest

Tom Lockyer shows off the defibrillator newly fitted into his chest after his cardiac arrest suffered in the game against Bournemouth.

The Luton captain explained how the defibrillator will ‘give him a shock’ if his heart-rate goes outside of the normal parameters.

He said when showing it off to Sky Sports: “So that’s my battle wound. So my DFIB sits in there, as you can see, it’s, and then there’s a wire that runs across here and then up to the heart in case it ever needs to go off. Yeah.

“So that’s constantly monitoring my heart rate and if it goes outside certain parameters, it’s designed to give me a shock. And. Yeah, that’s the wire that runs up.

“And I think that battery lasts ten years. So, yeah, only needs changing every ten years and hopefully I’m never going to, never going to need it, but it’s there as a precaution.”

Tom Lockyer say that his family’s well-being will be his top priority when it comes to deciding whether to return to the pitch after his cardiac arrest incident.

The 29 year old collapsed during a Premier League game at the Vitality Stadium back in December, and has since revealed that he was clinically dead for two minutes and 40 seconds before being revived by medical professionals.

As he continues his recovery, he admits that the lingering thoughts of the incident continue to trouble him.

“I’m super lucky because if this didn’t happen on a football pitch, there’s every chance I wouldn’t be here,” he said in an interview with BBC Breakfast.

“And the thought of that, leaving my girlfriend [who is pregnant] to raise a child on her own, is heartbreaking.”

This was the second time Lockyer had had experienced a heart problem, after he collapsed in the Hatters’ playoff final victory against Coventry City at Wembley in May 2023.

He had minor surgery, and got the go ahead to play again and captained Luton in the top flight – including scoring his first Premier League goal – but unfortunately suffered the same incident in December 2023.

“My girlfriend was at the game, and my dad,” Lockyer recalled.

“She was looking at me when it happened, because the ball was elsewhere, and she’d seen me go down.

“She said instantly she knew that it was serious.

“Her friend, who she was with, said she let out a massive scream that would live with her forever.”

He will “forever grateful” to the medical staff who were quickly on hand to save him.

“Without them people who were incredible under the pressure, I wouldn’t be here today and I wouldn’t be lucky enough to be waiting to welcome a little girl into the world,” he said.

“I think that’s why it’s important that, although this has happened to me and it’s a horrible thing to have to go through, the bigger picture is that I want more people to start learning CPR.”

Lockyer has now had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) fitted, something which is designed to kick start the heart instantly in case he experiences the same incident in the future.

“It took a while to get used to, because it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be,” said Lockyer, showing the scar on his side where the device has been fitted.

“But it doesn’t affect my golf swing, I’m still rubbish!”

He talks about being able to spend more time with family and even taking to a 6,000-piece Lego set of Hogwarts castle.

“I’m a big Harry Potter fan, so I really enjoyed doing that one.”

“On the one hand I’m eternally grateful that, if I have to retire, I’m so lucky I’ve got to play in the Premier League, score in the Premier League, represent my country, all these incredible things,” he said.

“And on the other hand I’m like: ‘I’d love a bit more’.

“Obviously I wouldn’t go against any medical advice, but it’s far too early to say yet, and there’s bigger things on the horizon now with the baby.

“I would have to speak to the family before I’d consider returning – my focus is on the baby now.”

Another player who spoke about his cardiac arrest was Charlie Wyke, a year ago he showed his scars and the defibrillator which is inside him keeping the player alive.

He said Christian Eriksen’s return to action following a cardiac arrest last summer inspired him to follow in his footsteps to getting back on the pitch.

Wyke collapsed when his heart stopped beating for four minutes during a training session back in November 2021 with Leam Richardson rushing in to perform CPR – two weeks after the management staff at the club had received training to learn how to perform the life-saving treatment.

Wyke told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview: “It was the scariest day of my life. I was just training as normal and then, all of a sudden, I’ve woken up on the floor, my sleeves cut off, with five staff looking over me. I had no idea what had happened.

“The last thing I remember was walking over to the manager to tell him I was going to collapse but I couldn’t get my words out. I then found out later it was actually the gaffer who started the CPR process and got me breathing again.

“That journey to the hospital in the ambulance was so scary. When I got told it was a cardiac arrest I instantly thought my football career was finished. I was absolutely devastated.”

Twitter users reacted as Tom Lockyer shows defibrillator fitted into his chest after his cardiac arrest…

@teamslikeLuton: I’m so proud this man is our captain, no matter what happens. Job for life here.

@FulhamTransfer: I know he loves the game and wants to continue but he’s collapsed twice now, it’s concerning… I do admire him wanting to continue though.

@nicholson1_jack: Proper feel for the bloke, seems so down to earth as well

@BedfordHatter: The interviews with Tom Lockyer really bring home how lucky he was at Bournemouth but more importantly what a brilliant man he is. Certainly puts football into perspective.

@MattBombHead:
🎵📢 Oh Tommy, Tommy, Tommy!
Oh Tommy, Tommy Lockyer! 🎵

@andrewklambert: Tom Lockyer was considered a true leader and a fearless captain at Luton BEFORE his two heart incidents. Player of the season last season, led us to the Premiership. But the way he has dealt with this situation, his honesty at all times, that makes him an all-time hero.

@ltfc_rhys: Whether he’s allowed to play again or not Tom Lockyer will always be Luton, everything we do this season is for locks we keep believing for locks we stay up for him. We do everything that he would’ve wanted to do for the boys this season

@gpehatter: What an incredible man Tom Lockyer is. 🧡🧡

@Antonmartin70: Tom Lockyer comes across as a really nice guy, i hope he gets to play again #GMB

@Caitlin_no63: Fair play to him for carrying on takes a lot of bravery

@ShantaBlind: that’s so scary man. The fact he’s able to publicly show it off and discuss its function etc so soon after the incident is admirable. Having that would freak me out so much

@Amanda28_84: Just absolutely incredible and so great to see him so positive 🙏❤️

@SamUTFAY:
YOUR DEFIBS OFFSIDE
YOUR DEFIBS OFFSIIIIIIIIDE
SUPER TOM LOCKYER
YOUR DEFIBS OFFSIIIIIIDE

@PaulaHenley7: What a lovely humble man. I wish him all the best, hopefully he’ll have good health now and enjoy the birth of his daughter and family life. Good luck to Luton too, I really hope they stay up, they very much deserve to

@Bladesam1983: I really wish this guy well. I get it, playing football is a massive deal for him and I really do hope it works out for him. It’s a big risk but he will be surrounded by the best medical advice that Luton can buy. Good luck man

@BigInTheRing: Adds a whole different meaning to recharging the batteries at half time

Related Topics
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in English Premier League