2 weeks ago
Tom Lockyer says he is “at peace” pinch nan imaginable of not playing shot again, but insists he has not ruled retired a return to nan pitch.
The 29-year-old Wales defender collapsed aft a cardiac apprehension playing for Luton Town during a Premier League lucifer against Bournemouth successful December 2023.
Resuscitated by medics, he has said he was "technically dead" for 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
In March 2024 Lockyer became a begetter for nan first clip and now says he has re-assessed his priorities erstwhile looking to nan future.
“I've made nary concealed saying I would emotion to return to football, but yet it would person to travel down to personification who's a cardiologist aliases a master who has done afloat investigation into what has gone connected and if it could hap again, because we've sewage a small woman now and she takes priority,” Lockyer told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.
“I would emotion to play shot again, of people I would, it’s my life but if it’s nan lawsuit that I can't, past I’m astatine bid pinch that arsenic well.
“I played for my country, I’ve played successful each convention and scored successful each convention from non-league to nan Premier League truthful it’s not nan extremity of nan world.
"At nan extremity of nan day, I've sewage my wellness and that's nan astir important thing”.
Seven months earlier December's cardiac arrest, Lockyer had collapsed during nan Championship play-off last astatine Wembley against Coventry.
He has now been fitted pinch an in-built defibrillator and moreover if he is not capable to return to playing, he is keen to enactment moving successful football.
“When it first happened, nan point that was keeping maine going was that I was going to beryllium nan 1 to travel backmost and people nan victor to support Luton successful nan Premier League. That was my extremity and beautiful quickly that sewage squished by nan physios and nan doctor, they said ‘are you silly?’," Lockyer added.
“I'm taking my clip of things, it could return a batch longer than we thought, but we can’t unreserved these things and if I'm going to travel back, it has to beryllium right.
“I was successful limbo for a spot arsenic well. I was not playing shot and not doing thing else, truthful I said to my agent, ‘what's nan champion point to do here?’.
“So I'm getting my coaching badges done. I’ve done a spot of punditry activity arsenic well, which I really like, truthful nan options are location for me.
“Obviously I'm not looking to do immoderate of them full-time astatine nan minute. I americium going to effort and attraction connected getting backmost connected nan pitch, but should that not beryllium nan case, past I'm judge thing other will person my sanction connected it.”
Lockyer is presently moving pinch nan British Heart Foundation arsenic portion of a run to effort and get astatine slightest 270,000 group to study CPR, an emergency process to assistance personification who has suffered cardiac arrest.
“It virtually is simply a life saver and I'm surviving impervious of that. I cognize really important CPR is,” said Lockyer.
“It’s why I'm trying to preach arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and that's why I'll support banging nan drum for CPR. I deliberation much group request to study it.
“People support putting it disconnected for immoderate reason, I person nary thought why. All it takes is 15 minutes to study it.
"You tin log online connected your telephone to nan British Heart Foundation website which will show you and springiness you nan devices you request to prevention someone's life.
“Ultimately, we dream you ne'er person to usage it. But should you do person to usage it, past astatine slightest you cognize what you're doing.”
