LUTON captain Tom Lockyer has become a father for the first time after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The midfielder, 29, collapsed during a Premier League match away to Bournemouth in December.
He told Gary Lineker‘s The Rest is Football podcast that the birth of his daughter has “changed my world”.
He said that he previously believed “football was the most important thing in the world” but he now has a new perspective on life.
Speaking to Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, he said: “This little girl came along and changes everything for me.”
When previously opening up about the experience, Lockyer told Sky Sports that he was “technically dead” for nearly three minutes.
He was discharged from hospital four days later and is continuing his recovery to this day.
He told Lineker and Co that “The first thought I had when I came round was ‘My missus is in the stand and she’s seven months pregnant.’
“But she seemed to have handled it really well and was amazing throughout the birth. I can’t speak highly enough of her.”
Lockyer spoke of a return to the club once his recovery is complete and he gets his bearings as a father.
He said: “Obviously the baby’s come along, I don’t have the energy at the minute, but when things settle down a little bit hopefully I can try and get in a little bit more.”
The player has not decided yet whether he will return to the club in a playing capacity.
He has been fitted with an ICD device which helps the heart restart instantly if Lockyer were to suffer a cardiac arrest in the future.
