Tom Lockyer’s cardiac arrest brought back horror of my dad’s collapse at the same ground

WHEN Tom Lockyer collapsed at the Vitality Stadium last weekend lots of emotional memories came flooding back for QPR defender Steve Cook.

For the last person who had his life saved at the same ground after also suffering a cardiac arrest was the Bournemouth legend’s dad, Richard

Steve Cook with his father Richard, who also had his life saved at Bournemouth after suffering a cardiac arrest before a Championship game with Nottingham Forest

Paramedics were quick to save Tom Lockyer’s life

Just over a year and half ago, Cook, as a Nottingham Forest player, returned for the first time to the club where he enjoyed almost 11 happy years.

And, unbeknown to him, his father, now 74, had to be brought back to life by paramedics after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly before the game started.

Although he was aware a supporter was having emergency medical help in the crowd, it was not until he was substituted in the second half he discovered it was his dad.

So after learning about Luton star Lockyer’s horrifying experience, it has reaffirmed Cook’s desire for all footballers to become first-aiders because he believes it could save lives.

The R’s ace told SunSport: “As soon as I heard about what happened, the memories came flooding back. It’s awful to see that happen not just to a footballer but any human being.

“Obviously, with it happening to my dad in the same way, it’s scary. It’s an eye-opener for everyone.

“But when you look at how everyone conducted themselves and responded. Bournemouth’s Phil Billing has been getting a lot of praise for how quickly he reacted.

“It’s huge. While I was at Bournemouth, we did regular first-aid training. They’d put on courses for things like what to do if you burn yourself at home up to if there’s a cardiac arrest on the pitch. 

Steve Cook during his Bournemouth days

“This is something in football which needs to be highlighted more and certainly us players need to be educated more on it. 

“You don’t know when it’s going to happen, or how you would respond to it — but if you’ve got the knowledge of it, you can potentially save people’s lives.”

Passing first aid exams is required for anyone taking a football coaching badge — and only two years ago then Wigan manager Leam Richardson had to give CPR to striker Charlie Wyke after he suffered a cardiac arrest in training.

But it is not a requirement for professional footballers.

Cook — who has also played in the pro game for Brighton as well as Mansfield on loan — would like to see that change.

He added: “I’ve only been at a couple of clubs in my career so I’m not sure how many do it — but now where this kind of thing seems to be happening more regularly, players maybe need to be more aware so they must put on courses. 

“When going for the coaching badges you must do it anyway but it’s something where players now need to be aware of.

“And equally, if it happens to a fan, you are always close enough or someone is always close enough to affect the situation.

“So I’d definitely be an advocate of pushing for players having annual first-aid courses.”

There has been a worrying spike in recent years of professional footballers having heart-related problems.

Christian Eriksen was the most recent high-profile cardiac arrest during a game and Sergio Aguero was forced to retire due to a heart-related issue while Wyke had his issue at Wigan.

Denmark players quickly respond as Christian Eriksen suffers a cardiac arrest

Denmark players form a circle around Christian Eriksen as medics battle to save him

It seems incredible that fit athletes in peak condition can suffer heart problems.

Meanwhile, 12 healthy individuals in the UK under the age of 35 die from undiagnosed sudden cardiac arrests.

And Cook said: “It is. It’s a huge eye-opener, it’s very scary. Nobody seems to be safe from that now. 

“Whether or not we’re becoming more aware and the media talk about it more but it’s something that you don’t think is going to happen to you, naturally. 

“It’s something that’s becoming more common so when you’re a top athlete – Tom Lockyer a Premier League footballer, a healthy age – it’s something that we need to be more aware of, more ready and perhaps have more resources put into because it’s not nice.”

Cook was gutted that his former boss Steve Cooper was sacked by Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

But the defender, who won promotion under him at the City Ground in 2022, believes the Welshman not only can hold his head high but deserve another Premier League job.

Steve Cook holds aloft a cardboard cutout of Steve Cooper at Wembley after Nottingham Forest won promotion in the play-off final

Steve Cook won promotion to the Premier League with Steve Cooper at Forest

He said: “Steve united a whole city — there’s so much passion up there. He galvanised the club and took them where they were destined to be.

“It was a miracle taking the club from the bottom of the Championship into the Premier League in the same season.

“But keeping them up last season was an even bigger miracle with the turnover of players.

“The owner’s expectations are huge. He has spent a lot of money and expected things to improve quicker than they did on the pitch, but that’s difficult when you sign FORTY-FOUR players all from different philosophies of football.

“It’s hard to put everything into place in a short amount of time — but that is what Steve did.

“At the moment he won’t look back and be proud because ultimately he has lost his job – but in the coming months, once the dust settles, he’ll look back and think he did amazingly.

“There are always question marks about managers coming into the Premier League from the Championship — can they do it? Steve has sent out a message that he can manage top clubs. He deserves to be in the top league.”

Meanwhile, Cook is hoping to help QPR out of a sticky predicament.

They host promotion-chasing Southampton sitting third bottom but since new boss Marti Cifuentes replaced Gareth Ainsworth at the end of October their fortunes have picked up.

The R’s have picked up three wins, three draws and two defeats in his eight games — and are now just two points adrift of fourth-bottom Huddersfield.

Cook said: “Our aim is safety-first above everything else now. We have some talented players and the new manager has taken them under his wing and given them freedom to play.

“We had a fractured dressing room but it’s a lot more together now.”

Cook and his QPR team-mates visited Hillingdon Hospital to visit children staying there over Christmas — and handed out gifts.

He said: “It’s not great having to stay in hospital, especially at Christmas, so it was nice to bring a few smiles to the youngsters’ faces.”

QPR players visited Hillingdon Hospital to hand out gifts to kids