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Tom Lockyer: Back in public and at some point on the football field?
Quelle: picture alliance/empics/Joe Giddens
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In December, Wales international Tom Lockyer collapsed unconscious – for the second time in just a few months. The 29-year-old has been living with a defibrillator since then, but it is uncertain whether he will return to the pitch. The defender’s priority lies elsewhere anyway.
The Premier League was left in shock after Tom Lockyer collapsed unconscious during a league game against Bournemouth in mid-December. The captain of newly promoted Luton Town suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the pitch. Two months later, the 29-year-old shows off his new companion – and talks about his comeback plans.
“This is my war wound,” says Tom Lockyer in a video released by Sky UK, pointing to the centimeter-long scar on his left breast. “My defibrillator is located there, and a cable runs from there up to the heart,” he explains. The device sticks out from under the armpit and has a battery life of ten years.
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The Welshman has been living with this defibrillator since December, when he collapsed on the football pitch for the second time in just a few months. The first time in May, in the crucial game against Coventry for promotion, Lockyer suffered atrial fibrillation. At that time, the defender recovered quickly and led Luton onto the pitch as captain in the Premier League.
“I thought, ‘I could die here'”
On the day of the incident in December, he felt no signs that anything was wrong. “It was a normal day, which is perhaps the most disturbing thing about it. I tried to find answers, but I was fine that day.”
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“I was able to see paramedics, physiotherapists and our team doctor. There was panic, but I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move. I remember thinking, ‘I could die here.’ At some point I woke up out of nowhere.”
The paramedics fought for Lockyer’s life for a total of two minutes and 40 seconds. As a result, the defender had a defibrillator implanted. It is still unclear whether the 16-time Welsh international will return to the pitch.
Premier League: Lockyer will soon be a father
“If there is a chance that I can play again, then I would really like to do it,” said the 29-year-old on Sky. “But I won’t do anything against the doctors’ advice. It is far too early to set a time frame or make a decision.” His girlfriend is seven months pregnant. That is currently his priority.
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In the context of a possible comeback, Lockyer also spoke to other professional footballers who have similar problems. Christian Eriksen, for example, who collapsed during a European Championship game in 2021, or the former Bayern player Daley Blind. They advised accepting what was happening and moving forward, Lockyer reported. “I can’t deny it’s been a tough few months. But I’m fine,” said the defender. “I’m incredibly grateful to be alive,” he said.
