Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer is stable and in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the Premier League match against Bournemouth.
Lockyer (29 years old) collapsed without anyone around him in the 59th minute of the match and was forced to receive medical care before being transferred on a stretcher.
Referee Simon Hooper then led both teams off the field at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, before the match was later abandoned.
Luton later said their medical team confirmed Lockyer had suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch but responded when he was taken off on a stretcher.
The club added that Lockyer received further treatment on the field before being transferred to the hospital, where his condition is stable and he will undergo further evaluations. His family is with him.
“We are all hoping and praying for our Captain and Commander Tom Lockyer, who fortunately responded and was taken to hospital,” Luton’s statement read.
“We don’t know the full extent of what happened and what the next steps are at this stage, but we thank Bournemouth and the medical staff on both sides for their immediate response, which was absolutely amazing.
“We are sorry to all the fans in attendance that players from both sides were not in the frame of mind to continue the match after seeing their much-loved colleague and friend go out in this way, and the staff were unable to continue officiating the match.” In such circumstances I had to deal with the situation.
“We thank everyone for the wonderful applause and singing of Lux’s name inside the stadium at such a difficult time.
“Now is the time for all players, staff and supporters to come together as we always do and offer our love and support to Tom and his family. Our thoughts are with him and with them all.”
The two teams were level when the incident occurred, with Dominic Solanke equalizing for the hosts in the second half after Elijah Adebayo’s early goal for Luton. The English Premier League has not yet issued a statement about the status of the match after its cancellation.
Lockyer had previously suffered a medical emergency 12 minutes into the Championship decider at Wembley last May, when he was taken off on a stretcher after being treated by medical staff after collapsing with no one around.
After that incident, Lockyer was immediately taken to hospital, and Lawton confirmed shortly after that he had responded. He left hospital four days later, before signing a new contract with Luton in July ahead of the inaugural Premier League season.
The defender had successful surgery and was cleared to train with his teammates during pre-season. He said on club channels that he suffers from “atrial fibrillation”, which the NHS describes as causing an “irregular and often rapid heart rate”.
Lockyer has started 15 of Luton’s 17 Premier League matches this season, including the now-canceled Bournemouth match.
Lockyer was born in Cardiff and is a Wales international, having played 16 times for his country since making his debut in 2017.
He came through the ranks at Bristol Rovers, making his first-team debut in 2012 and making 285 appearances for them in seven years before leaving for Charlton Athletic. Lockyer spent one season with Charlton, making 43 appearances in the Championship before joining Luton in 2020.
Lockyer has since made 117 appearances for Luton and was a key figure in them winning promotion to the Premier League last season.
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