Luton Town manager Rob Edwards has revealed what he told his players after captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest against Bournemouth.
In the December game between Bournemouth and Luton, Lockyer collapsed to the ground in a distressing off-the-ball incident. Edwards, recalling the harrowing event, described it as the “scariest moment of his life.”
As one of the first responders on the scene, Edwards sprinted from his technical area to assist, recognizing the severity of the situation. He was commended for his quick thinking in clearing space for the medical team to attend to Lockyer.
Reflecting on the incident with The Athletic, Edwards revealed his personal turmoil and admitted breaking down in front of his players.
He expressed his struggle as a leader in that moment of crisis, feeling unable to provide guidance to his team.
He also highlighted the strength and unity displayed by both players and staff during the ordeal, with players like Carlton Morris stepping up to offer support.
He said:
“I don’t want to talk about it too much, but it was different. It was so so scary.”
“I kind of broke down in front of the lads. I said, ‘I’m supposed to be a leader here, but I don’t know what to say. I can’t lead you right now at the moment’.”
“Everyone acted differently. Carlton Morris spoke up and some members of the staff did as well. And that’s where you can see how strong we are as a unit — players and staff.”
“I know I have to stand up and be the face of it most of the time, but that just showed our strength and our togetherness because I wasn’t in a position at that time to carry on.”
This is not the first time Lockyer collapsed during a football match. He had a similar incident during the play-off final against Coventry back in May.
He was taken to the hospital then as well and subsequently had a heart surgery. The 29-year-old was cleared to return to playing in June.
However, it remains to be seen if he will ever play again after the latest incident.