By Paul Jones
Tom Lockyer has reflected on his day of “mixed emotions” after being given the all clear following his heart scare during Luton’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final win over Coventry last month.
The 28-year-old defender fell to the floor early in the game and was subsequently taken to the Cleveland Clinic in London where he underwent an operation.
Lockyer is now planning a holiday before preparing for the Hatters’ new Premier League campaign having been assured by medical staff that there is no reason why he should suffer a repeat of the problem.
“I had an atrial fibrillation, which is basically the top part of my heart was beating four times faster than it should have been,” Lockyer told his club’s official website.
“I felt like I’d let the boys down, I couldn’t stop crying”
Tom Lockyer talks through his collapse in the Championship play-off final pic.twitter.com/WYgI0aojPE
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) June 6, 2023
There’s not really any reason to say why that happened, but I’ve had the operation to fix it and it shouldn’t happen again.
“I’ve been given the all clear, it is what it is and I just want to draw a line under it now and move on.”
Lockyer said he had few recollections of the incident, other than an over-riding emotion of sadness when he realised he would be unable to play any further part in the Wembley clash.
“It was a day of mixed emotions,” added Lockyer.
“It was crazy. All week I’d been visualising walking up those steps to that trophy and to end it in a hospital bed is not quite what I had in mind.
“I remember running backwards, and then I went really light-headed and my legs went really weak straight away. I remember stumbling back and then all I remember was (physio) Chris Phillips over the top of me, and he was saying, ‘Locks, you’re coming off’.
“I’m just really thankful that the lads were able to get the job done and we were able to complete our goal of getting promoted.
“It made those five days in hospital after a lot easier. I think if we had lost, those five days would have been horrendous, but they made it a lot smoother for me.”
🗣 “I started watching the game from my hospital bed!”
Luton’s Tom Lockyer confirms he has been given the all-clear after collapsing in Championship play-off final 🧡 pic.twitter.com/1QXq0rQ5gP
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 6, 2023
