Rob Edwards has admitted that Tom Lockyer’s cardiac arrest during the Bournemouth game was the “scariest moment” in his life as the Luton manager hailed the medical responders that saved his captain as “real heroes”.
The Hatters defender, who suffered an atrial fibrillation during the Championship play-off final win over Coventry in May, collapsed again at the Vitality Stadium.
Medics from both clubs and paramedics at the stadium rushed to treat Lockyer and he was taken to hospital and the game was abandoned.
Images beamed around the world showed players from both teams applauding the fans in the ground who had shown their united support for the defender as he was stretchered off, singing his name.
A very emotional Edwards was also shown thanking all four sides of the stadium.
Lockyer was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, having had a ICB fitted to prevent further cardiac arrests, similar to the one implanted in Manchester United’s Christian Eriksen.
Asked how he is after a very trying week, Edwards told Sky Sports: “I’m fine thanks. It was a really scary moment. It was the scariest moment I’ve ever had, never mind in football.
“It was different to Wembley. I knew it then and I certainly know it now after all the tests and everything that’s gone on this week.
“We get on with it and the main focus then is Tom and his family. We’ll all be affected in different ways and we’ll deal with it in different ways.
“We’re all individuals, we’re all different and we’ll cope and deal with it differently as well.
“I feel good. I’ve had loads of support. Everyone’s been asked how I am, which I find difficult because I’m not the one going through it.
“I’m fine. I was emotional on Saturday. Yeah, it scared me, but everyone rallied. The medical guys were incredible in such a scary and pressurised situation with the world watching.
“They made every decision bang on. I’m so proud of them. They saved him. Our medical guys, Bournemouth’s, the paramedics that were there, they’re real heroes.”
Edwards revealed in his pre-match press conference ahead of Newcastle’s visit that he was able to visit Lockyer in hospital immediately after the game was abandoned at Bournemouth last weekend.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” he said, adding: “He was hooked up to everything, lying down, but chatting, smiling and fairly jovial. Incredible.
“He is an incredible man. It was just nice to be able to give him a hug and a kiss and just sit there with him and have a chat for a little bit.
“But then, obviously, there are people seeing him and the doctors are there as well, so I just had 20 minutes and got around his family a little bit.
“It was important to support, but then support from afar because he just needs the key people around him. But that was really nice to see him.”
