Drama in the Premier League, the Luton captain collapses during the match: he had already suffered an illness on the pitch in May

The Premier League match between Bournemouth and Luton was stopped suddenly, 14 minutes after the start of the second half. The visiting team's captain, Tom Lockyer, collapsed while on the field: the player collapsed on the ground in the middle of the pitch. Game, away from work. Emergency services intervened immediately, while teammates, the technical staff and opponents felt despair over what had happened. After lying on the ground for several minutes, Lockyer was taken off on a stretcher, with the match permanently suspended. Fortunately, the 29-year-old Welshman regained consciousness after being taken to hospital and is alert again. However, he will undergo in-depth examinations, also because the incident reported today is the second serious incident of its kind for Lockyer: just a few months ago he had already suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at Wembley, during the Champions League final. Qualifiers for promotion to the Premier League, then won on penalties by teammates against Coventry. After undergoing heart surgery at the time, the 29-year-old was given the green light by doctors to return to action a month later.

Club statement

“We do not know the extent of what happened and what the next steps are, but we thank Bournemouth and the medical staff of both teams for their immediate response, which was very extraordinary. We are sorry to all the fans in attendance but players from both teams were in no condition to continue the match after seeing their beloved teammate and friend taken away in this way.” We thank everyone for the fantastic applause and for chanting Lockyer's name on the pitch at such a difficult time. “Now is the time for all players, staff and fans to come together as we always do and offer our love and support to Tom and his family,” Luton Town wrote in an emotional statement.

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