Tom Lockyer has returned to Bristol Rovers, and Head Coach Darrell Clarke could not be more delighted to welcome him back to the Club.
The centre-back started training with the Gas earlier this month following his departure from Luton Town, officially putting pen to paper on a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season on Thursday evening.
The 30-year-old has not played a professional game in almost two years, suffering a cardiac arrest whilst playing for the Hatters in the Premier League in December 2023, with his return to action then delayed by ankle ligament damage.
Now back at his boyhood club, Lockyer is getting closer to his return to the pitch, with Clarke pleased to see him back after a lot of work.
“It feels very good and I’m really pleased,” he said. “A lot of work was done to get the deal over the line. As you could expect, it wasn’t an easy deal to do. I had been in touch with him in the summer anyway, so I have been working on this for a longer period of time. I have always been in contact with him, and obviously, when we got him in the building, my mindset was always ‘can we make this happen’, having spoken to Tom, his family and the keenness of Tom to get back playing.
“He’s been in the environment now for a couple of weeks. It’s been great having him around here. The best thing about it is that he really wants this. He’s coming in to win. He could quite easily sit at home or on a beach somewhere and enjoy the rest of his life, but his football is his life and getting him back here was a great moment for him and for us.
"Ricky Martin, the medical team, the owners, everybody has done a tremendous amount of work to get this over the line. So, it’s a big thank you from me because I think he’ll be a very, very useful addition to our squad.”
It has been a long road to recovery for Lockyer and his family, with the defender having worked tirelessly off the pitch to get back to the game he loves dearly.
Clarke reflected on the journey he has been through and emphasised that the defender is coming back with ambition and hunger.
“The testing and everything he has gone through and his family has gone through; they have lived that journey,” said Clarke. “He’s had to pass so many tests to be able to get himself back playing.
“We are really pleased that he’s coming back home, he’s coming to play. He’s still at a good age as well. He’s really hungry and really ambitious to prove something. I think he wants to prove to himself and prove to everybody else that he’s back and he’s ready to go.
“He’s ready to go, no doubt about that. I've seen him in the last two weeks, bearing in mind that he’s played minutes at Luton as well in games behind closed doors. So, he’s in good condition and he’s ready to go.”
Clarke now has another leader in the dressing room, with the 47-year-old working with Lockyer in his first spell in charge between 2014 and 2018. With Alfie Kilgour and Ellis Harrison also joining the Pirates in the summer, the Head Coach knows the trio can help drive the culture at Rovers due to their previous connections and experience with the Club.
“The thing is, for me, that when I came in the summer, I’ve not shied away from the work that needs doing from the ship that sank,” said the Head Coach. “That’s what happens when you get relegated, the ship sank. With that comes a lot of things that you’re trying to fix and build, but you’re also continuously trying to build.
“So, you’ve always got to have your eye on the short term, but also the medium and the long term. When you get someone in like Lockyer, like your Alfie Kilgour’s and Ellis Harrison’s, players that know the club, know what the fanbase is, know what’s expected, it's going to drive the culture that I want in this building. So, small blocks to build bigger blocks.
“He’s a born leader. He’s always been a very bright lad, from managing him and then turning him into my captain when he was a young lad. He’s always been very, very intelligent and very aware of things. He hasn’t changed a bit, to be honest with you. He’s just grown into more of a leader, and he’ll take everything into his stride on Saturday.
"I’m sure it will be a special occasion for him and his family and for the Football Club. So, I can guarantee to you now that if he is selected on Saturday, his focus will be on winning the game because that’s what he does. We’re probably cut from the same cloth in a lot of aspects.”
