Christian Eriksen offers a piece of advice to Tom Lockyer after his collapse during Premier League match against Bournemouth – with the Man United midfielder suffering his own on-pitch cardiac arrest in 2021

• Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer collapsed during a match in Bournemouth 
• Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch at Euro 2020 in a game against Finland 
• Eriksen, who now plays for Man United, has offered his advice to Luton captain 

Christian Eriksen has offered some advice to Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer, not least because he knows exactly what it is like to suffer a cardiac arrest on a football pitch.  

The world of football stood still on Saturday when Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest in the 59th minute in a game against Bournemouth.

After a delay of around 10 minutes, the 29-year-old was said to be ‘alert’ and ‘responsive’ as he was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital. The match was subsequently abandoned.

Now, with Lockyer facing up to the prospect of potentially needing to retire from professional football, having also suffered a heart issue during the Championship play-off final in May, Eriksen has offered some advice.

Eriksen fell to the ground and suffered a cardiac arrest near the end of the first half during Denmark’s Euro 2020 clash with Finland.

Warning: the following images may be distressing for some readers 

Luton Town’s Tom Lockyer collapsed in the second half against Bournemouth on Saturday

Christian Eriksen suffered his own on-pitch cardiac arrest playing for Denmark back in 2021

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While Eriksen recovered to play at the highest level for Brentford, and now Manchester United, he wants Lockyer to follow the guidance of medical professionals. 

‘Well first of all, I hope he’s OK,’ Eriksen told Betfred.

‘I’ve read and seen what’s happened and I hope he’s OK, takes his time, is in a healthy way and his family are there to support him. I cross my fingers that he’s fine.

‘My advice to him would be to make the best decision you can. If the doctors tell you to do something else then you’ve got to respect it and see what you can do.’ 

Eriksen added: ‘There’s nothing that’s going to hold you back, but in the end it all depends on how he’s feeling and what the doctors are saying. He has to make the decision with his family, but he should take his time and focus on himself.’

Following his own collapse, Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. 

That piece of technology resets the heart after a cardiac arrest and that may prove to be an option for Lockyer, should he seek options to continue playing. 

Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest in the 59th minute but is now in a stable condition in hospital

Luton boss Rob Edwards ushered the players off the pitch while Lockyer received treatment

Lockyer was given the all-clear to return to football in June, following his heart problem in May, but Mail Sport understands that decision will now be reviewed once medical experts have further information on the cause of Saturday’s incident at the Vitality Stadium.

A source close to the player said: ‘This will be something we all look into more now. The physios, the club doctor, the specialists all did their work and worked with him in the summer and he was OK. 

‘It’s just getting through this one test at a time. Comparing it to the summer will be something that happens when we know what went on on Saturday.’

The Premier League handbook states that players must undergo annual cardiac testing, with any further cardiac investigations or follow-ups performed as advised by expert opinion. It is unclear whether Lockyer underwent further testing since receiving heart surgery.

In June, Lockyer was treated by Professor Sanjay Sharma, the same doctor who treated Christian Eriksen after the Danish midfielder collapsed during a game in Copenhagen in June 2021.

Back then, Lockyer was diagnosed with an atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular and often fast heartbeat.

Eriksen (left) now plays for Man United, fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator

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Once he was given the all-clear to play again, Lockyer’s contract with Luton was renewed, although the Welsh defender admitted the incident left him ‘really emotional’.

‘I had an atrial fibrillation, which is basically the top part of my heart was beating four times faster than it should have been,’ he said at the time. ‘There’s not really any reason to say why that happened but I’ve had the operation to fix it and it shouldn’t happen again.

‘I’ve been given the all-clear, it is what it is and I just want to draw a line under it now and move on.’

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