Exclusive: ‘We have to do it for him’ - Thomas Kaminski says Tom Lockyer recovery ‘fuels’ Luton

Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski says players have seen the “human side” of manager Rob Edwards since Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest - and that the squad are determined to win for their captain.

The centre-back collapsed earlier this month during a game at Bournemouth, which was abandoned. He is now at home recovering, having had a device fitted which treats dangerous and irregular heart rhythms.

Since the incident, Luton have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time since earning promotion back to the Premier League, beating Newcastle at home and Sheffield United away on Boxing Day. They host Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime, live on TNT Sports.

Kaminski is among the players and coaching staff who have stayed in contact with Lockyer, and players have worn t-shirts with his name on during warm-ups before matches.

“It’s been a rollercoaster, but the main thing is that Tom is alright,” Kaminski told TNT Sports.

“He’s got everything in place now to feel better. The two wins, it’s something we wanted to do for Tom, but we’re still in a battle to stay up.

“The strength of the squad has always been together but when that happened it gives us a feeling that there’s no excuse.

“We have to do it for him because he’s been part of this team for a long time, and he’s also one of the main reasons why we are here where we are and why Luton is in the Premier League. He’s a leading figure in the group.

“We know that he’s watching, if we do well we give him a perspective as well to come back if he decides to do it, if the experts are saying he has the green light. We are hoping the best for him.”

Kaminski only joined Luton in the summer after impressing at Blackburn, but both Lockyer and Edwards have already left an impression on him. The manager has been praised for the way he handled the incident, and for talking about how he wants his players to “embody the spirit” of their skipper.

“We’ve always seen the human side of the gaffer, but we’ve seen it a little bit more these recent weeks. He turned it [the Lockyer incident] into something we can use as fuel, as motivation.

“He showed his emotions to us, which is sometimes a good thing to do as a manager. He’s been direct in his messages.

“I thought he struggled against Bournemouth to hold back his tears, you don’t normally see that in a manager, but that’s something that touched us. He turned it around into something positive for us in a way that we can use on the pitch.”

Kaminski has earned plaudits for his performances after making the jump from the second tier, and he is a regular in the Belgium squad - though the 31-year-old is yet to win a competitive cap.

The former Gent goalkeeper is hoping he can stay in Domenico Tadesco’s thoughts ahead of next summer’s European Championship in Germany.

“I feel good, I feel confident. I’m really happy that I could play in the Championship as well because it gives you a good experience of what playing in England is like,” said Kaminski, who made his move to Blackburn in 2020.

“It’s different to play in the PL because there’s so much to do and so many quality players, it gives you a good platform to stay in the game and to be focused as well.

“I allow myself to dream about it [the Euros]. It’s something I would like to do, everyone would like to experience a tournament and be part of the national team.

“It needs to be an ambition as well. I’ve been there for a couple of years and it’s been good, but with the new manager his communication is very direct and it’s working well."

Luton will have home advantage this weekend, as they attempt to achieve a third straight victory against an inconsistent Chelsea side. Kenilworth Road has proved to be a tricky place for the so called ‘big’ Premier League, having earned a draw with Liverpool, beaten Newcastle and pushed Arsenal and Manchester City.

“I think we’ve improved a lot, not only off the ball but on the ball. We allow ourselves to be a little bit more dominant, but at our stadium the fans are behind us and we use it as a strength.

“Nobody wants to play against Luton, that’s something that we have to use in our favour. I’ve been that player as well, I came to Luton with Blackburn and I didn’t want to play against Luton.

“We have to take it as a strength playing as Luton against the big teams - we have to give them a difficult game.”

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