The Luton Town captain, Tom Lockyer, is recovering at home having been discharged from hospital on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest in the match against Bournemouth.
Lockyer collapsed on the pitch at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday and was treated by medical staff before being taken to hospital. The match was eventually abandoned after a lengthy delay and will be replayed in due course.
While in hospital Lockyer had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted, a device that is designed to shock the heart should a person enter cardiac arrest.
“We are thankful to report that our captain Tom Lockyer has now begun a period of rehabilitation from the comfort of his own home after he was discharged from hospital on Wednesday,” Luton said in a statement.
Play was halted in the 65th minute on Saturday as Lockyer was given medical assistance. The Luton manager, Rob Edwards, entered the field of play immediately to ensure the players gave medical personnel the space required to work on Lockyer. Once he was taken off the pitch on a stretcher, it was decided that the two sets of players should not continue the match.
“The club, Tom and the Lockyer family would like to take this opportunity to repeat our collective heartfelt thanks to all at Bournemouth, their supporters, club officials and especially their medical staff and midfielder Philip Billing, who was the first to reach Tom on the pitch and summon assistance.”
Lockyer previously collapsed during the Championship playoff final in May but tests this week showed his cardiac arrest was unrelated. Following that incident at Wembley he spent five days in hospital and had surgery to treat an atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate, but was allowed to return for pre-season.
“The clinical advice Tom and the club has taken since the Championship playoff final has been conducted by the most renowned cardiologists, who have been involved at every step, along with a team of supporting multi-disciplinary consultants,” Luton said. “We can now confirm that the tests taken this week had revealed that the issue Tom experienced on Saturday was different to the atrial fibrillation he suffered in May.”
