It was three years ago during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland that Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field.
The incident shocked the world, with many of his active and former teammates paying tribute to the Danish magician during the rest of the tournament. Little did anyone expect Eriksen to ever set foot in a European Championship again.
But, as of May 30, Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand announced Eriksen will be part of the national squad travelling to Germany. Eriksen is allegedly reported to be a named in the starting eleven as he wishes to win Denmark their second European Championship.
This article explores how Eriksen worked his way back from a health scare to become one of Denmark’s star players again.
Eriksen’s return to football and the Premier League
Having been involved in Antonio Conte’s league-winning Inter Milan team prior to the event, Eriksen was forced to leave in October 2021 due to Serie A laws regarding the ICD that the midfielder had fitted.
The midfielder announced his return to professional football and the Premier League signing for Brentford on a free transfer in January 2022.
The Bees were halfway through a promising first season in the Premier League and turned to the Dane to offer added quality in possession. Eriksen made his Brentford debut as a late substitute on February 26 Vs Newcastle.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank had coached Eriksen at youth level for Denmark and was aware of the playmaker's qualities. Frank even deemed the signing as the biggest in the club’s modern history, showing just how renowned the midfielder is.
Between his debut and the end of Eriksen’s first season at Brentford, only Kevin De Bruyne and Martin Odegaard had created more chances. During his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Eriksen was once among the best creative players in the World.
The return to international football and Denmark
Having built a rapport with the Danish fans since his debut in 2010 where he was the youngest player at the South Africa World Cup, Eriksen’s return to international football was warmly welcomed by his native fans.
In March 2022, Eriksen was welcomed by a standing ovation from both sets of fans as he came on in the second half of a 4-2 defeat to the Netherlands. Despite having to wait for his chance off the bench, Eriksen scored within just two minutes of his sensational return for Denmark.
Proving just how important Eriksen is to his nation, he played every minute during Denmark's 2022 World Cup matches in Qatar. However, the Danes failed to set the world alight, finishing bottom of Group D.
The midfielder’s time at Manchester United
The innovator arrived from Brentford on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 to add midfield depth to a squad consisting of key names such as Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.
During the Dane’s first season he was instrumental for the Red Devils who finished third and won the Carabao Cup in his debut season. The midfielder racked up 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice as well as providing ten assists.
Manchester United manager, Erik ten Haag prefers Eriksen in a deeper role as a holding midfielder. The 32-year-old is key in build-up play, collecting the ball from the defence and supplying the attack.
The tireless midfielder featured 28 times last season with injuries preventing any sort of rhythm. But Eriksen won his second trophy in English football as Manchester United clinched FA Cup glory in a 2-1 win over Manchester City.
What does Eriksen offer Denmark at Euro 2024?
The Danish hero currently sits on 130 appearances for his nation, having scored 41 goals. The midfielder needs to play in just three matches for Denmark to become their all-time top appearance-maker.
Eriksen has a sixth sense of vision, offering disguise and precise passes which vary in range. The Danish fans will hope the midfielder can find his groove to combine with quality attackers such as Rasmus Hojlund and Yussuf Poulsen.
An underrated attribute of Eriksen is his work rate, which coerced with figures like Pierre-Emile Hojberg and Christian Norgaard will prove a midfield battle for any nation.
Most importantly, Eriksen is a constant goal threat, scoring and assisting with ease and Denmark will look to his scoring and leadership abilities to guide them past a tricky group consisting of Slovenia, Serbia and England.
