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 pitch at the Vitality Stadium after going into cardiac arrest when the clubs met on December 16.
That match was abandoned and Lockyer was present Wednesday's rescheduled match and met with the medics before the game.
“I got a bit emotional,” Lockyer told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I'm quite numb to the whole thing, but when I got back here I entered the tunnel area and saw the paramedics who saved my life.
“I recognized them immediately. What else do you say in that situation other than 'thank you'? They are heroes and they saved my life.”
Lockyer shook hands with medics as he took 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 when the defender collapsed in the original match.
“I hope that's for the paramedics and not for myself,” Lockyer said before the match.
“It will be emotional. When it happened, it was important that people saw that I was doing well.
“A lot of the crowd that was there that day is here tonight, so it's important that they see me walking around and doing well.”
Lockyer has not played since his cardiac arrest and previously said he had been “technically dead” for almost three minutes.
He was hospitalized for five days and subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
Bournemouth fans have raised more than £2,000 to place four coaches for Luton fans to make the 180-mile round trip from Bedfordshire to the south coast for the rescheduled match.
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