Tom Lockyer the latest in a worrying trend of athletes suffering cardiac-related illness

Luton Town captain in a stable condition in hospital after collapsing on pitch against Bournemouth

Luton Town manager Rob Edwards gestures as his player Tom Lockyer receives treatment on the pitch during the English Premier League match against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, in Bournemouth, England, on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Play was suspended after the hour mark as Lockyer fell to the ground with no other player near him. The match was later abandoned. Lockyer, 29, was rushed to a nearby hospital where the club said his condition was stable. AP

Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch shortly before half time during Denmark's opening Euro 2020 match against Finland in Copenhagen. Danish medical staff later admitted they 'lost' Eriksen before reviving him and later confirmed the midfielder, 29, had suffered a heart attack but that there was 'no explanation' for Eriksen's condition. AFP

Former Real Madrid and Spain captain Iker Casillas was rushed to hospital in 2019 after suffering a heart attack while training with Portuguese giants Porto. The club said Casillas suffered an 'acute myocardial infarction'. Though he made a full recovery, Casillas never played again and officially retired in August 2020. Reuters

Dutch defender Daley Blind was diagnosed with heart muscle inflammation in December 2019 after suffering from dizziness in a Champions League clash with Valencia. He was subsequently fitted with an electronic device called the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). The Ajax defender suffered a scare during a friendly match in August when the pacemaker he uses to treat dangerously abnormal heart rhythms failed and he collapsed again – although it was later described as a one-off incident. AFP

Not long after helping Nigeria to an Olympic gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games, Nwankwo Kanu underwent a medical examination while at Inter Milan, which revealed a heart defect. The then 20-year-old underwent surgery to replace an aortic valve and did not return to the Serie A club until the following year. Getty Images

Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed and died on June 26, 2003 during a Fifa Confederations Cup semi-final match against Colombia. An autopsy revealed the former Manchester City midfielder suffered with a heredity heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise. He was 28. AFP

Even before he made an appearance for Bolton Wanderers Senegal international Khalilou Fadiga had collapsed prior to a match in October 2004. He had to be fitted with a defibrillator due to an irregular heartbeat. However, Fadiga returned to the Bolton squad in early 2005 and played in five games. AFP

Leyton Orient footballer Andy Scott was forced to retire in April 2005, at the age of 32, after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition similar to that of Marc-Vivien Foe's. PA

Zaire-born English footballer Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed during the first half of an FA Cup quarter-final match between Bolton and Tottenham Hotspur on March 17, 2012. The then 23-year-old received attention on the pitch from medical personnel before being taken to the specialist coronary care unit of the London Chest Hospital. He survived but retired from football subsequently. Getty Images

Piermario Morosini collapsed during the first half of Livorno's Serie B match at Pescara on April 14, 2012. The Italian died at the age of 25 after suffering cardiac arrest. AFP

Belgian defender Gregory Mertens suffered a cardiac arrest during a reserve game for Lokeren against KRC Genk on April 27, 2015. He died three days later age 24. Getty Images

Former Newcastle United and Ivory Coast midfielder Cheick Tiote died on 5 June 2017 age 30 after suffering a cardiac arrest at a training session in Beijing. Getty Images

Davide Astori died on March 4, 2018 in his sleep in a hotel in Udine prior to Fiorentina's match against Udinese. An autopsy showed the 31-year-old Italian defender died due to cardiac arrest. Reuters

Papy Faty, a 28-year-old Burundian midfielder, collapsed and died on April 25 while playing a match in Eswatini – formerly Swaziland – for Malanti Chiefs FC. Faty had a history of heart complications having previously collapsed during a friendly match for a South African club in Johannesburg in December 2015. Getty Images

Luton captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest that forced the abandonment of his team's Premier League match at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Luton's game on England's south coast was halted midway through the second half with the score at 1-1 as defender Lockyer received medical treatment before he was carried off to applause.

The Premier League confirmed the match had been abandoned and Luton later said the Wales international was in a stable condition in hospital.

"Our medical staff have confirmed that the Hatters captain suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch, but was responsive by the time he was taken off on the stretcher," the club said in a statement.

"He received further treatment inside the stadium, for which we once again thank the medical teams from both sides. Tom was transferred to hospital, where we can reassure supporters that he is stable and currently undergoing further tests, with his family at his bedside."

Lockyer, 29, had heart surgery after collapsing during Luton's Championship play-off final win against Coventry in late May.

He returned to action for the start of the new season and had made 15 appearances so far in all competitions before Saturday's match.

A young and otherwise fit athlete suffering cardiac-related illness is rare but by no means new phenomena.

Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen was given life-saving cardiac massage treatment on the pitch during a Euro 2020 match against Finland.

The sight of the playmaker falling to the ground in the 42nd minute of the match shocked onlookers and left players on both sides distressed.

Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and to the delight of the football world made a full recovery, returning to action six months later when he signed for Brentford on transfer deadline day in January 2021 before earning a move to Premier League giants Manchester United that summer.

Former Spain and Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas was rushed to hospital in April 2019 after suffering an "acute myocardial infarction" while training with Portuguese club Porto.

The goalkeeper made a full recovery but never played again before officially hanging up his boots in August 2020.

Heart problems in footballers disproportionately affect African players, studies show.

Burundi international Papy Faty died after collapsing during an eSwatini – formerly Swaziland – league match in 2019 while former Manchester City midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe lost his life after suffering heart problems during a 2003 Confederations Cup match on international duty with Cameroon.

Cardiac-related illness is a worrying trend across sports in recent times.

Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during practice with his college basketball team in July 2023.

The 18-year-old collapsed on court while training with his University of Southern California teammates in Los Angeles. He was taken to hospital for treatment and spent a short time in intensive care.

On Sunday, he passed a major hurdle in his comeback, making his debut in an 84-79 upset loss in overtime to Long Beach State, ESPN reported.

James' scare came a year after USC centre Vince Iwuchukwu collapsed during practice after suffering heart failure. Iwuchukwu was revived by team's medical staff and played last season after recovering.

It was also reminiscent of an incident in January, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed from a cardiac arrest during an NFL game in Cincinnati.

Hamlin received life-saving CPR on the field as the frightening scene unfolded in front of a packed stadium and national television audience. He made his NFL comeback in October against the Miami Dolphins.