TOM LOCKYER has completed a fairytale return to former club Bristol Rovers after bidding farewell to Luton Town.
The 30-year-old left Kenilworth Road as a free agent earlier this month to continue his playing career following his 2023 cardiac arrest.
He subsequently began training with Bristol Rovers in a bid to retain match fitness and has now signed a nine-month contract with the club.
Upon his arrival, Lockyer said: “It feels really, really good to once again be a Bristol Rovers player.
“Obviously I’ve been training here for a while and I’ve tried not to think too much about it or get too excited about the ifs, buts and maybes.
“But as soon as I knew that Darrell wanted to get something done, it was easy for me to then make a decision about coming back home.
“It is so hard to explain but it’s everything I’ve worked so hard for over the last two years.
“Hopefully I can have many, many more good memories in a football shirt.
“I’m going to celebrate the little wins back on a football pitch and I just want to enjoy it. I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise.
“I’m doing this because I love playing football and I’ve got that massive desire to play football again, and what better place to do that than back home at Bristol Rovers.”
Lockyer joined the League Two side as a teen after being released by Cardiff City in 2011 and went on to make 284 appearances.
He spent seven years with the club before joining Charlton Athletic for the 2019-20 season.
The centre-back then joined Luton in a free transfer and made 117 first team appearances before suffering a cardiac arrest during a Premier League match against Bournemouth in December 2023.
He continued his rehabilitation with the club throughout 2024 and made his return to the pitch earlier this year.
Lockyer is now ready to make his mark for Bristol Rovers once again.
Head Coach Darrell Clarke said: “I’m delighted to have Tom back with us.
“He’s a lad I’ve got a lot of admiration for, which has only increased after everything he and his family have gone through in the last couple of years.
“I always believed Locks had the ability to make it at the highest level and he proved that, playing in the Premier League with Luton Town, and his application and work-rate epitomises everything I know the fans love about our players.
“I also know our supporters were hopeful we might be able to get something done with Locks.
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“Deals to bring in players of Tom’s calibre involve cohesion and hard work across the Club and I’d like to thank everyone involved, especially the Board and Ricky, for getting this over the line.
“It’s been great having him around the training ground, and he’s already settled into the group well. It will be great to see him back out there in the blue-and-white quarters.”
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