Luton Town has confirmed that their captain, Tom Lockyer, is in a “stable” condition following a cardiac arrest suffered during the Premier League match against Bournemouth, which was subsequently abandoned.
Our medical staff have confirmed that the Hatters captain suffered cardiac arrest on the pitch, but was responsive by the time he was taken off on the stretcher.
He received further treatment inside the stadium, for which we once again thank the medical teams from both sides.… pic.twitter.com/YCTiHtH5Nx
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) December 16, 2023
The incident occurred midway through the second half, prompting both teams to leave the field as Lockyer received urgent medical attention. The 29-year-old defender was conscious when he was stretchered off the pitch to the sound of supportive applause and was immediately taken to the hospital.
Luton Town released a statement saying, “Our medical staff have confirmed that the Hatters captain [Tom Lockyer] suffered cardiac arrest on the pitch, but was responsive by the time he was taken off on the stretcher. He received further treatment inside the stadium, for which we once again thank the medical teams from both sides. Tom was transferred to hospital, where we can reassure supporters that he is stable and currently undergoing further tests with his family at his bedside.”
In a poignant scene following the game’s abandonment, players and staff from both Luton and Bournemouth returned to the pitch to applaud the fans, with Luton manager Rob Edwards visibly moved.
This is not the first health scare for Lockyer, who collapsed during Luton’s play-off final victory against Coventry in May and later underwent heart surgery. He was cleared to resume playing in June.
The Premier League issued a statement regarding the incident: “The match between AFC Bournemouth and Luton Town FC has been abandoned due to a player medical incident. Our thoughts are with Tom Lockyer and all players involved in today’s match.”
Luton called on everyone associated with the club to rally around Lockyer and his family, stating, “We are sorry to all supporters present that players from both sides were in no state of mind to continue with the game after seeing their much-loved team-mate and friend taken off like that and staff could not carry on with managing the game in such circumstances. We thank everyone for the wonderful applause and singing of Locks’ [Lockyer’s] name inside the stadium at such a difficult time.”
Bournemouth also expressed their relief and ongoing concern, commenting, “We’re relieved to hear Tom is responsive. Our thoughts will continue to be with Tom and his family at this time. We’d like to thank all the medical staff for their quick action as well as everyone inside the stadium for their support and unity during a difficult moment.”