Luton's captain Lockyer suffered a heart attack and collapsed during a late-night English Premier League match on Saturday (16th), almost killing him. There have been many cases of players suffering from heart problems in the past 20 years that have led to sudden deaths, with the most sensational one being that of Cameroonian player Cole, who collapsed in the middle of a match in the last four of the Intercontinental Cup of Nations in June 2003, and it was confirmed that he had died of an occult heart condition. Manchester United midfielder Christian Alexandre also fainted in the European Cup two years ago, but recovered, while Argentine shot-stopper Argüello was forced to end his playing career.
Heart disease has become the "invisible killer" of the stadium, more frightening than any injury. After Cole's sudden death in 2003, Westville defender Peyada, who was only 22 at the time, collapsed during a game in 2007, and although he regained consciousness, he died of heart failure after being hospitalized.
Two years later, 26-year-old Espinoza midfielder Chucky, who had just been appointed captain, died of a heart attack while returning to his hotel to talk to his girlfriend after a training session in Italy. In April 2012, 25-year-old Livorno midfielder Morusciani suddenly fell unconscious on the pitch during a Serie B match for the team and died after team doctors failed to save him.
In recent years, some football stars have suffered from heart problems, resulting in a blow to their soccer careers. Dutch international footballer Daley Blunt once felt dizzy suddenly during a match, and was eventually found to be suffering from myocarditis, which necessitated the installation of a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to regulate the heart rate and prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
