Christian Eriksen has offered advice to Tom Lockyer after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch.
“Eriksen has offered advice to Luton Town captain Lockyer, who went into cardiac arrest at Bournemouth last weekend,” ESPN reported on Monday.
Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest near the halfway line in the 14th minute of a league match against Bournemouth on Nov. 17. Fortunately, he was spotted by Philip Billing, who immediately raised his arms in the air and called for medical attention. The referee saw Lockyer in a similar moment and immediately stopped play. The Bournemouth and Luton Town medics rushed to check on him, administered first aid and loaded him onto a stretcher. He was then taken to hospital.
Luckily, he regained consciousness. We quickly realized that he was responsive when he was placed on the stretcher. He underwent further tests at the hospital and is now quietly recovering with his family.
In an official statement, Luton confirmed: “We can confirm that Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch but was responsive by the time he was taken off on a stretcher. “Once again, we are grateful to the medical teams from both sides,” Luton said in an official statement, “and we would like to thank everyone for the wonderful applause and singing in support of Lokier during this difficult situation. The crowd at Vitality Stadium continued to sing and clap for Lockyer during the stoppage of play, wishing him a speedy recovery.
In an official statement, Bournemouth said they were “delighted that Lockyer was able to react” and “thank everyone at the stadium for their support and unity in a difficult moment and the medical staff for their swift action.”
Later in the day, Luton and Bournemouth players left the pitch at the umpire’s instruction and later returned to circle the pitch to thank the fans for their continued support. Manager Rob Edwards even broke down in tears as he told fans to continue to support Lockyer.
Cardiac arrests are not uncommon in soccer. Lockyer had already had a close call in May of this year, when his heart stopped in the eighth minute of the English Championship (Second Division) promotion playoff final against Coventry City. The likes of Marc-Vivien Feu and Antonio Puerta have also suffered cardiac arrests on the pitch and tragically lost their lives.
Eriksen also collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. Against Finland, he was approaching the touchline to take a throw-in when he suddenly lost consciousness. Luckily, like Lockyer, first aid was administered and he regained consciousness before leaving the field. Eriksen was later implanted with a defibrillator and continued to play, including a spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and is still with Manchester United today.
Eriksen has some advice for Lockyer at a crossroads in his career. The main thing he emphasized was to follow the doctors’ judgment. “First of all, I want him to be okay,” he said, “and I want him to make the best choice. You have to listen to the doctors and listen to their advice,” he said, adding that following their judgment and advice will help him in his athletic career and in his daily life.
“At the end of the day, you have to follow your own thoughts and your doctor’s diagnosis. “At the end of the day, you have to go with your own thoughts and your doctor’s diagnosis,” he said, adding that while he and his family will decide his future, he still needs to take time to focus on himself.