Tom Lockyer hopes to resume career after rehabbing with heart specialists in Amsterdam having ‘literally died’ on pitch

TOM LOCKYER hopes to resume his Luton career after rehabbing with heart specialists in Amsterdam.

The Hatters captain, 29, had said he was “at peace” with retirement at the end of last season.

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Tom Lockyer hopes to return to football after rehabbing with heart specialists[/caption]

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The defender suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against Bournemouth last season[/caption]

He has yet to resume training at Luton since returning home from the Netherlands, with Rob Edwards’ side kicking off their Championship season at home to Burnley a week tonight.

Centre-back Lockyer remains under the care of Luton’s medical team after having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted to regulate his abnormal heart rhythm.

The Wales international suffered a cardiac arrest during the Prem game against Bournemouth in December and admitted he “literally died” when his heart stopped for 2min 40sec.

He also collapsed during the Championship play- off final against Coventry at Wembley in May last year with an irregular heartbeat.

Lockyer has seen Professor Sanjay Shah, a London-based cardiologist who helped Christian Eriksen return to action following his cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener in June 2021.

Eriksen had an ICD fitted and spent nine months on the sidelines.

He was unable to resume his career at Inter Milan as he could not get insured, so joined Brentford in January 2022 before moving to Manchester United that summer.

Last year, midfielder Eriksen, 32, said: “You just have to let it heal for a few months and after you can do whatever you’re capable of.”

Carlisle United striker Charlie Wyke also returned to football after being fitted with an ICD in 2022.

Wyke suffered a cardiac arrest in training while at Wigan, with the 31-year-old revealing he was inspired to return to football by Eriksen’s comeback.