Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer called the medics who saved his life “heroes” as he returned to Bournemouth to thank them.
The 29-year-old collapsed on the Vitality Stadium pitch after suffering cardiac arrest when the clubs met on 16 December.
That match was abandoned, and Lockyer attended Wednesday’s rearranged fixture and met the medics before the game.
“I got a little bit emotional,” Lockyer told Radio 5 Live.
“I am quite numb to the whole thing but being back here, I came into the tunnel area and saw the paramedics that saved my life.
“I recognised them straight away. What do you say in that situation other than ‘thank you’? They are heroes and they saved my life.”
Lockyer shook the hands of the medics when he came on to the pitch before Wednesday’s Premier League match and received a standing ovation from both sets of fans who chanted his name.
Supporters also applauded in the 59th minute, which was when the defender collapsed in the original fixture.
“I hope that is for the paramedics and not myself,” said Lockyer prior to the game.
“It is going to be emotional. When it happened it was important for people to see me doing well.
“A lot of that crowd that were there that day are here tonight so for them to see me walking around and doing well is important.”
Lockyer has not played since his cardiac arrest, and has previously said he was “technically dead” for nearly three minutes.
He was hospitalised for five days and was subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
Bournemouth fans raised more than £2,000 to put on four coaches for Luton fans to make the 240-mile round trip from Bedfordshire to the south coast for the rearranged game.
