THANK YOU... FOR MY LIFE
Lockyer’s making emotional return to Bournemouth, where medics kept him alive
TOM LOCKYER will make an emotional return to Bournemouth tonight to thank the medics who saved his life.
The 29-year-old Luton defender suffered a cardiac arrest when the teams met at the Vitality Stadium last December and he later revealed that he ‘died’ for two minutes and 40 seconds when his heart stopped beating.
This will be the first time that Lockyer, who also suffered heart trouble during last season’s Championship play-off final, has travelled with the Hatters since his brush with death.
Both clubs are treating it as a special occasion.
A cheque made up of contributions from Luton and Bournemouth fans will be presented to the British Heart Foundation.
And the Bournemouth Supporters Trust, with help from the parent club, are paying for coach travel for Hatters fans after December’s match was abandoned.
Luton boss Rob Edwards said: “That shows a lot of class from them and it’s a big thank you from me and our football club. Tom’s going to be coming down tomorrow, which will be great.
It will be an emotional night. The main thing is that Locks is OK.
“He will be able to meet the people who helped save his life and he will be able to meet Bournemouth supporters, who were unbelievable on the day.
“We’d love to have him around the club on a weekly basis to lean on his experience. But he’s got bigger things on his mind at the moment – a new baby, that’s his main focus right now.
“With a new arrival he’s quite rightly been looking after his family.”
Edwards hailed the medical staff who treated Lockyer on the Bournemouth pitch as “true heroes”.
He said: “Players are modern-day heroes to kids and young people growing up, but it’s only football in the end. There are more important things
“What those guys did with Locks in the most pressurised moment was incredible. They deserve all the affection and attention they will get on the night.”
With Luton in 18th spot and three points from safety, Edwards said once the first whistle goes the lovein ends.
“In the end it will be two teams fighting like mad to win the game,” he said.
“It’s been business as usual this week. What happened to Tom matters to me and I care. But we’ve got an important job to do.”
Luton still have a massive injury list, with Gabe Osho, Elijah Adebayo, Jacob Brown, Marvelous Nakamba,
‘We’d love him around the club weekly to lean on his experience’
Dan Potts, Sambi Lokonga and Mads Andersen out of action. Defender Amari’i Bell had an operation yesterday on a hamstring injury. Edwards (left) said: “There’s no point moaning about it. We won’t be able to get many back before the end of the season but we’re not going to let it derail us. “We’ve had a lot thrown at us, but it will make us stronger.” While Burnley and Sheffield United are considered certainties to go down, bookies give Luton a chance of escaping the drop, quoting them at 11-8 to stay up.