2023-12-17T09:45:36+00:00
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/ Luton Town player Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch unconscious during the match against Coventry City at Wembley Stadium on May 27, before the same thing happened again during the match against Bournemouth in the English Premier League yesterday, Saturday.
The first time Lockyer, 29, was taken off the pitch after the match that secured his team’s promotion to the Premier League, he spent five days in hospital and underwent surgery to treat atrial fibrillation, a heart condition, before returning to training with the team before the start of the current season after receiving medical approval.
In an interview with the BBC, Lockyer said last June, before the start of the new football season, that he had become “completely healthy” according to the required tests, and would continue his professional career after the surgery.
But a few months later, it was decided to cancel the Bournemouth and Luton Town match on Saturday, after it was stopped in the 65th minute, following a new fall by player Lockyer, who suffered a heart attack, amidst the collapse of all the players, technical staff and fans in the stadium.
“Our thoughts are with Tom Lockyer,” the club wrote on its X platform on Saturday. “Our medical team confirmed he suffered a heart attack on the pitch and has now responded to treatment after being taken off the pitch on a stretcher.”
The club continued: “Tom has been taken to hospital and we can reassure fans that his condition is stable and he is currently undergoing further tests, with his family by his side.”
“All tests are fine”
Lockyer confirmed in his interview with the BBC last May that he had obtained all the necessary medical permits to resume his football practice after undergoing surgery, and he said: “I had to undergo surgery to fix the problem, and it must not happen again.”
He continued: “There is absolutely no reason that can be said to explain what happened. I was completely healthy and all heart tests were good.”
The Welsh defender explained that after the previous incident, he continued to watch the match at the time via a live broadcast while he was in the ambulance that transported him from Wembley Stadium to the Cleveland Medical Center in London, where he celebrated the victory in the match on a hospital bed surrounded by his family.
“It was a moment of mixed emotions,” he said. “I had been imagining myself all week celebrating the win, but I ended up in a hospital bed. That was not what I had in mind.”
The player returned to participate with his team again at the beginning of the season, and played 15 matches so far in all English competitions before Saturday’s match, which witnessed his new injury.
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat, is one of the most common types of heart arrhythmia and can be dangerous if left untreated.
It occurs when the electrical signals that control the heart rate are sent in an unregulated manner, causing the heart to beat faster.
Its symptoms include feeling a rapid or irregular heartbeat, in addition to chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
The disease increases the risk of heart attack, but this can be reduced by taking certain medications and following a healthy lifestyle, including eating healthy food, exercising, and quitting smoking.
As for cardiac arrest, it is one of the most common causes of death among young athletes. According to the Mayo Clinic, one in every 50,000 to 80,000 young athletes dies each year due to sudden cardiac arrest, so it appears that it is a rare occurrence, but it has been repeated on football fields.
Eriksen..and other players
Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during his country’s match against Finland in the European Nations Cup in Copenhagen, in 2021.
The player suffered a heart attack, but received the necessary treatment and returned to playing football 6 months after the incident, and currently plays for the English giant Manchester United.
Eriksen is currently playing after having an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted, and his contract with his club Inter Milan was terminated due to Italian Football Federation rules that do not allow players to play football if such a device is fitted.
After the incident with the Luton Town defender, concerns about Eriksen may have increased as well.
Usually, players retire after suffering a heart attack on the field, fearing for their lives. An example of this was Bolton Wanderers player, Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a heart attack during a match in March 2012 against Tottenham in the English League Cup.
Muamba retired from football after the incident, after doctors managed to save his life on the pitch, in compliance with medical advice.
Meanwhile, Benfica striker Micos Feher died in January 2004 after suffering a heart attack during a match against Vitoria Guimarães.
Three years later, Sevilla star Antonio Puerta collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a match against Getafe. The defender died in hospital days later.
In 2009, Espanyol player Dani Jarque suffered a heart attack after a training session and passed away.
The most prominent recent case was that of Italian international Davide Astori, who died of a heart attack in a hotel room after a match for his team Fiorentina in March 2018.