Tom Lockyer describes his terrifying near-death expertise

Welsh footballer Tom Lockyer has described the terrifying second he thought he was dying on the pitch after struggling a cardiac arrest in a Premier League sport.

The Luton Town defender collapsed throughout a match at Bournemouth in December and was technically lifeless for 2 minutes and 40 seconds earlier than his coronary heart was restarted by paramedics.

Lockyer, 29, had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) fitted afterwards which can shock his coronary heart again into motion ought to it ever cease once more.

His cardiac arrest at Bournemouth was Lockyer’s second coronary heart problem in a matter of months after he suffered an atrial fibrillation (AF) within the Championship play-off remaining at Wembley final May.

Speaking on ITV‘s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Lockyer stated: ‘Back in May on the Play-off remaining it was one thing completely different. Back then, it was AF, which is the highest a part of the guts and isn’t life-threatening.

Luton Town and Wales footballer Tom Lockyer, 29, has spoken in regards to the terrifying second he thought he was dying after struggling a cardiac arrest throughout a Premier League match

Lockyer’s coronary heart stopped for 2 minutes and 40 seconds earlier than paramedics restarted it

The Bournemouth scare was the second time Lockyer had collapsed in a matter of months 

‘Back then at Wembley, as a result of it was the primary time, no person actually knew what was occurring. It was ‘oh is it his ankle, is it his knee, the warmth?’ All this stuff.

‘This time everybody knew that is severe and the supervisor Rob Edwards, he got here on inside 5 seconds and that’s unparalleled. Everyone type of knew this was severe this time.

‘There was little doubt this time and I type of knew as effectively which is why once I began coming spherical and I could not transfer or converse, the employees there on website had been extra in ‘go-mode’. They had been targeted and it was very severe.

‘That’s once I was like, ‘wow, I could possibly be dying’. Obviously whenever you’re mendacity there and you may’t converse and may’t transfer, it isn’t a pleasant feeling to have.

‘But once I might transfer and converse, I felt nice, which is the mad factor. I wasn’t sore, I wasn’t in any form of ache. My coronary heart bought again into rhythm because of the unbelievable medical employees.

‘I’m so fortunate it occurred the place it did as a result of if it was to occur outdoors of hospital or a soccer pitch, the survival price is just one in 10.’

Lockyer stated he’ll put his household first when making a choice over whether or not to return to taking part in soccer. He is anticipating his first baby with associate Taylor.

Showing the scar left by his ICD, he added: ‘I name it my new little superpower actually. After one thing like this occurs and also you make a restoration, you have got it in there simply in case.

Lockyer described the Lockyer implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) fitted in his chest as ‘his new little superpower’ 

The gadget comprises a wire that runs to his coronary heart and is designed to shock the organ again into motion 

‘To begin with it is vitally sore and I nonetheless cannot sleep on my left aspect, however I by no means slept on my left aspect. It does not have an effect on my golf swing, I’m nonetheless garbage at that.

‘I’d simply say: Picture your self and one in every of your loved ones members has a cardiac arrest and you do not know what to do. It solely takes quarter-hour to be taught, it actually saves lives.

‘It permits me to be right here for my daughter. The focus for myself is only for the newborn and my girlfriend on the minute.’

Lockyer confirmed off the scar left by his gadget implant in a current interview with Sky Sports. 

‘So that is my battle wound,’ the defender stated. 

Lockyer stated he’ll put his household first as he thought of whether or not to make a return to taking part in 

‘My defibrillator sits in there, as you may see there is a wire that runs throughout and as much as the guts in case it ever must go off. 

‘So that is always monitoring my coronary heart price and if it goes outdoors sure parameters then it is designed to offer me a shock.  

‘That’s the wire – the battery lasts about 10 years so solely wants altering each 10 years and hopefully I’m by no means going to want it but it surely’s there as a precaution.’

The gadget will be seen protruding beneath his left arm pit, with a scar marking the incision made to suit the gadget throughout surgical procedure, with two different scars highlighting the form of the gadget.