LUTON boss Rob Edwards has described Tom Lockyer’s collapse as the “scariest moment of my life”.
Hatters captain Lockyer, 29, suffered a cardiac arrest at the Vitality Stadium during his side’s clash with Bournemouth on December 16.
He received immediate medical attention and was rushed off to hospital for tests as the game was abandoned.
Lockyer, who also collapsed during the 2023 Championship play-off final at Wembley, was discharged four days later and is continuing his recovery.
And more than two months on, Edwards, 41, who was visibly emotional on the day, still finds it a difficult subject to talk about.
The ex-Watford boss described it as the “scariest moment of my life”, before going on to tell The Athletic: “I don’t want to talk about it too much, but it was different. It was so, so scary.
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“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.”
Lockyer will be part of Sky Sports’ coverage of Luton’s clash with Manchester United at Kenilworth Road on Sunday afternoon.
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He received a hero’s welcome from the Luton faithful when he walked out onto the pitch before their 4-0 win over Brighton last month.
It remains unclear whether he will resume his playing career – with Lockyer currently focused on his recovery and the upcoming birth of his child.
But Edwards has insisted Lockyer is still playing an integral part in Luton’s battle to avoid relegation despite not being able to feature on the pitch.
Luton had lost just one of their last six Premier League games before a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United last weekend.
They sit one point above the bottom three having played one game fewer than 18th place Everton.
After Luton’s clash with Man Utd, Sean Dyche’s Toffees host Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
