Tom Lockyer re-signs for Bristol Rovers almost two years after cardiac arrest

Tom Lockyer plans to have “many more good memories in a football shirt” after rejoining Bristol Rovers nearly two years on from suffering a cardiac arrest during a Premier League game.

Wales international Lockyer has not played since collapsing during the top-flight game between Bournemouth and Luton at the Vitality Stadium in December 2023.

The 30-year-old defender left Luton last month but he has since been training with Rovers, and on Thursday signed a deal until the end of the season at the club where he made over 280 appearances between 2013 and 2019.

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Excited

“It feels really, really good to once again be a Bristol Rovers player,” Lockyer told the club website.

“Obviously I’ve been training here for a while and I’ve tried not to think too much about it or get too excited about the ifs, buts and maybes.

“But as soon as I knew that Darrell (Clarke, manager) wanted to get something done, it was easy for me to then make a decision about coming back home.

“It is so hard to explain but it’s everything I’ve worked so hard for over the last two years. Hopefully I can have many, many more good memories in a football shirt.

“I’m going to celebrate the little wins back on a football pitch and I just want to enjoy it. I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise.

“I’m doing this because I love playing football and I’ve got that massive desire to play football again, and what better place to do that than back home at Bristol Rovers.”

Rovers boss Clarke said: “I’m delighted to have Tom back with us.

“He’s a lad I’ve got a lot of admiration for, which has only increased after everything he and his family have gone through in the last couple of years.”

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