Luton captain Tom Lockyer collapsed on the hour mark in the match against Bournemouth. Quickly treated by doctors, the 29-year-old Welshman was taken to hospital, conscious. The match was stopped.
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The crowd at the Vitality Stadium was close to witnessing drama on Saturday, December 16, during the match between Bournemouth and Luton. In the 60th minute of this Premier League meeting between the two teams, Tom Lockyer, the captain of Luton, collapsed on the pitch. Quickly attended to by doctors, he came out to the applause of the public, conscious and on respiratory assistance, ten minutes after his illness. 15 minutes later, the match was officially stopped.
“We all hope and pray for our leader and captain Tom Lockyer, who is fortunately responsive and was taken to hospital. We do not know the full extent of what happened or the next steps at this stage, but we thank Bournemouth and the medical staff on both sides for their immediate response, which was absolutely extraordinary“, indicated the Luton club in a press release.
Lockyer had already felt unwell in May
At the time of his discomfort near the central circle, during a harmless action, Lockyer was initially assisted by Bournemouth players and his teammates. The latter were aware of the medical condition of the Welshman, who had already suffered from illness on the pitch last May, during a Championship match (the second English division) between Luton and Coventry. Lockyer then obtained a favorable medical opinion to continue his career.
After long minutes of waiting, this match of the 17th day of the Premier League was definitively interrupted. Rob Edwards, the Luton coach who quickly intervened on the field at the time of the malaise, then took a tour of the stadium, with tears in his eyes, to thank the public for their support.