Andros Townsend dedicates Luton winner to Tom Lockyer after captain's cardiac arrest as manager Rob Edwards reveals defender's 'incredible' state of mind
The former England winger scored the only goal of the game and held up a shirt in support of Welsh defender at Kenilworth Road
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Luton Town's Andros Townsend dedicated his winner against Newcastle United on Saturday to captain Tom Lockyer after the defender suffered a cardiac arrest in the game against Bournemouth last weekend.
Hatters players warmed up with shirts with "Locks" written on the front as their skipper recovers after collapsing in the Premier League clash at the Vitaly Stadium, which was abandoned with the scores at 1-1.
And after scoring his first Luton goal with 25 minutes on the clock, Townsend ran to the side of the pitch and held up Lockyer's shirt in the celebrations.
It turned out to be the winning goal as Luton secured a vital victory which sees the Hatters climb to 18th place, where they sit two points behind Nottingham Forest with a game in hand over the Reds.
Lockyer was responsive after suffering a cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital for treatment as fans of both teams applauded him off the pitch.
The defender has now been discharged from hospital and is continuing his recovery at home. The 28-year-old also collapsed in the play-off final against Coventry City earlier this year and was given the all-clear to return to action.
His future is now uncertain, but Luton manager Rob Edwards has opened up on the player's state of mind following the events of last weekend.
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“I didn’t know what to expect," Edwards said. "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.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
And on the players' reaction, he said: “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."
Edwards also paid tribute to Lockyer's family, 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.”
And on the player's condition, a week on, he said: "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."
Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.
