Town chief reveals Lockyer told him three points were there for Luton against Toon Army

Luton boss Rob Edwards revealed how defender Tom Lockyer had told him he believed there were three points for the taking ahead of Town’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle United yesterday.

The centre half had watched the contest at home while recovering from surgery to fit an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth the previous weekend. Released from hospital on Thursday, the Hatters supporters used the contest against the Magpies to celebrate the fact that Lockyer had pulled through, as they went on to secure a third top flight victory of the season courtesy of Andros Townsend’s first goal for the club.

Emerging triumphant in their last game before Christmas was something that the Welsh international had predicted as well, with Edwards saying: “He text me earlier on and said he felt the three points were there for us today. He reminded me that he’s okay, to stop worrying about him and he said he’s bored already. He’s at home, so I think they were going to be watching the game as well.”

Lockyer had been the first person to message the players’ group chat on WhatsApp as well, as match-winner Townsend admitted it had been a difficult few days for all connected with the club, saying: “He messaged the group chat as soon as we got in, he was the first person to message the group chat.

“He said how proud he was of us and how happy he was we’ve got the win, so it made it even more special that he was able to watch it and we were able to put a smile on his face.

“It's been a tough week for everyone, but we got the win for him. He’s happy, we’re happy, everyone associated with Luton is happy after what’s been a tough week.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Ross Barkley knew how important it was to pick up the three points for Town’s Welsh international, adding: “It was a good end to a difficult week. It was hard to start with, but gave us extra motivation to win the game for Tom today. It was a good moment and Tom put a message in the group chat, he was proud of the lads today, so it was a happy moment.

“He’s had surgery, he’s recovering. We’ve not bombarded him with messages, we’re just glad that he’s on the mend and he’s getting better.”