Tom Lockyer said he felt like a disappointment to his Luton teammates after collapsing with a heart problem during the play-off final in May.
A moving interview with the Hatters captain about the play-off tragedy has resurfaced after he suffered cardiac arrest against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Vitality Stadium was solemn as Lockyer fell to the grass for the second time in seven months during Luton's visit to Bournemouth.
Players surrounded the centre-back as he lay on the grass, Luton manager Rob Edwards was in tears and the match was later abandoned.
Luton said he was 'responsive' and in a 'stable' condition before being taken to hospital where he underwent tests and scans.
Now another clip has emerged of Lockyer talking about his collapse in May. He said: 'I was walking outside with the boys and I remember it was so hot. We were warming up in the sun. I remember thinking, “wow.”
An interview with Tom Lockyer from earlier this year has resurfaced. In it, he admits he felt guilty about collapsing during the play-off final in May
The Luton captain was taken off the field after collapsing during the play-off final with a heart problem
Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest against Bournemouth on Saturday, causing the clip to resurface
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'I remember during the warm-up I was trying to find the shade and warm up in the shaded part and looking at Coventry in the shaded part and thinking, “that's unfair.”
“The match started, Viktor Gyokerez for Coventry, one of the best strikers in the league, strong, fast and all that, so I just thought early on, win your first individual fights against him, so I did that.
'I was like, “Look, this is the perfect start here.” We kept him calm, we're going to have a good day. And then I just remember the ball went to Gabe (Osho), he gave it away, as I was backpedaling, my head got really lightheaded and then my legs went like jelly almost immediately.
'I remember falling backwards. Before I knew it, I woke up and there were paramedics all around me on the lawn. And I remember waking up from a dream. I couldn't tell you what the dream was about, but I just remember having a dream.
“The paramedics and the physios are there, and they just said, 'Lock, can you hear me?' I'm like, “Yes.”
'And as soon as I came to, I was nice again. They say, “Shut it, you're coming off.” I was like, “No, no, I'm fine, like I'm fine.”
“He said, 'Lox, you just collapsed on the field.
He was treated by medical staff after collapsing in the second half and is 'alert and responsive' in hospital
Luton boss Rob Edwards was left in tears and distraught after the harrowing incident
Luton said players were 'not in the mood' to continue the match after Lockyer's collapse
“And then it just went, wow, why am I doing the talking? And I had no idea how I was lying on the ground.
'And then the realization was: boom, your game is over, your season is over, you can no longer influence this game. It was a strange feeling of disappointment, like I was letting the team down.
“I know I couldn't have controlled anything, except at that moment, all these emotions were going through and I just couldn't stop crying on that stretcher. I had the oxygen mask on, but I couldn't stop crying.”
A review of medical protocol is expected at Luton following Lockyer's second mid-match collapse in 2023.
Lockyer was cleared to return to football in June, the month after his first collapse due to a heart problem.
The Bournemouth and Luton players were taken off the field by referee Simon Hooper
As of Sunday, Lockyer was still undergoing tests and scans in hospital
Mailsport understands the decision will now be reviewed once medical experts have more information about the cause of Saturday's incident at the Vitality Stadium in Luton's match against Bournemouth.
A source close to the player said: 'This will be something we are all looking at more now. The physios, the club doctor, the specialists all did their job and worked with him in the summer and everything went well for him.
“It's just going through one test at a time. A comparison with the summer will happen when we know what happened on Saturday.'
The match between Bournemouth and Luton will be replayed in its entirety, with a date and kick-off time to be arranged by the top flight's governing body.