Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer celebrated the club’s historic Championship play-off final win over Coventry from a hospital bed after collapsing on the pitch.
Lockyer fell to the ground while back peddling at the start of the game and appeared to collapse as he tried to get up.
He remained on the ground for several minutes receiving medical attention before being carried off on a stretcher.
His father Steve captured the moment his son watched the team win from hospital surrounded by friends and family.
He posted it on Twitter, saying: “Tom is okay. Very happy but so sad he can’t be there with his team mates.”
The win means Luton have been promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history.
Lockyer also shared the photo on his Instagram page, saying it was “not quite where I thought I’d be celebrating at the final whistle”.
His collapse was “a much scarier moment for everyone else than myself”, he wrote.
He said he was kept in hospital overnight as a precaution and would have further tests today.
“I am feeling very much myself, helped by the way the lads left it all out on pitch!” he added.
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Speaking to Sky Sports News after the Hatters’ promotion, Luton Town manager Rob Edwards got emotional when shown the photo of Lockyer in hospital.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him and I’m just really pleased he’s okay,” he said through tears.
“He’s been immense for us this season. Health and family is the most important thing, more important than football.”
He said he struggled to celebrate before knowing Lockyer was well: “It felt a little bit wrong to celebrate at the time. I just felt emotional.”
Speaking to Sky Sports News on Sunday morning, Edwards said Lockyer was in “good spirits” as he recovers in hospital and was being well looked after.
Luton last played top-flight football in the 1991-92 season, before the formation of the Premier League.
Over the years, the club sank through the divisions and played non-league football as recently as 2014.
Last season, Luton lost in the Championship play-off semi-finals but this year they reached the final and finally secured a return to the top division at Wembley yesterday after beating Coventry on penalties.
