Edwards left in awe of just how 'incredible' Lockyer has dealt with his cardiac arrest

Luton boss Rob Edwards has been left in total awe of the way that ‘incredible’ centre half Tom Lockyer has handled the cardiac arrest he suffered during last weekend’s Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth.

Just moments after the Cherries had drawn level in the top flight clash at the Vitality Stadium, the Town centre half dropped to the floor with an hour gone, home midfielder Philip Billing instantly alerting medical staff to the situation, as he received life-saving treatment within moments before being taken to hospital, the game swiftly abandoned by referee Simon Hooper.

Having led both sets of players around the pitch in a lap of appreciation afterwards, a clearly emotional Town chief was then able to go and see the Welsh international in hospital and despite the severity of what had just happened to him, found Lockyer to already be in an upbeat mood.

Describing the moment, Edwards said: “I didn’t know what to expect. He was hooked up to everything, lying down, but chatting, smiling, fairly jovial, incredible. He’s an incredible man and it was just nice to be able to give him a hug and a kiss, sit there and have a chat for a little bit with him.

"Then the doctors are there as well, so I just had 20 minutes and got around his family a little bit. Then it was important to support, but support from afar because he just needs the key people around him, but it was really nice to see him lying there smiling and knowing that he was in good hands.”

Lockyer, who is a hugely popular member of the Hatters squad, has also been the same with his team-mates too, as Edwards continued: “A lot of them would have been in contact with Tom and he’s been his usual self, joking, talking about doing anything to get out of the Christmas do, all that sort of stuff. It’s incredible how he’s been all throughout this, I think that’s helped the boys as well.

“Carlton (Morris) is going to go and see him. Carlton is one of his closest mates in the team, so that will be really good, a nice lift for both of them I think, and the lads are tight, they keep in touch.”

Edwards has also been in regular contact with Lockyer’s family as well, as he couldn’t begin to fathom just what they had been going through at the time of it all unfolding, saying: “It was incredibly tough. Taylor, his partner, bless her, is seven months pregnant and it was pretty harrowing at the time. She was on the touchline, going through that and reliving that will be difficult for all of us, for everyone, but those closest to him, I can’t imagine how they will be feeling and it would have been incredibly difficult.

"They’ve been so brave, incredibly supportive to Tom at the time. Steve, his dad, has been unbelievable in how he’s dealt with everything. Incredible people, but I can’t put myself in their position and how they were feeling at that time, it must have been so frightening for them.”

On how Lockyer is doing now, a week on from the incident, Edwards added: “His dad described it to me as he feels like he’s had a fight with a bear. He’s tired, he’s clearly been through a lot, but he’s been in good hands, he’s in good hands now being looked after at home. It’s just recovery time, he’s been through a lot, bless him, but just recover now at home. All that matters is he’s okay and that he’s around his family, that’s it, bottom line.”