In the opening of Euro 2020 (played in 2021), Denmark hosted Finland in Copenhagen. In an otherwise celebratory event, one of the worst things imaginable took place on the pitch. The Danish team’s star player, Christian Eriksen, went into cardiac arrest and collapsed in the 42nd minute. The fast action of his teammates, particularly Simon Kjær, and medics saved Eriksen’s life.
After the horrors of that event, it’s hard to imagine the idea of Eriksen getting back on the pitch. The Italian football governing body decided he would not be able to return to be an active player, thus seeing his time at Inter Milan end. Since then, Eriksen has trained with, and been invited to train with, a variety of teams across Europe.
His main goal is to return to the Danish national team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But there are, of course, many questions and concerns surrounding his ability to do so. It seems, however, that a number of Premier League teams are willing to give the Dane a chance to prove that his body is in the right condition to return to playing.
Of all the teams, the latest to emerge was Brentford. If a deal is struck, it would see Eriksen return to London, this time to a team that is playing its first Premier League season and looking to do what teams like Wolves, Sheffield United, and Leeds United have been able to do in recent years. Get promoted and finish within the top 10.
It goes without saying that a healthy Christian Eriksen would be an asset to any club. But the real question is whether his body is up to the challenge of getting back to the grind of day to day football. I hope the answer is yes. And while we wait, he’s gone back to Ajax to train and prove he’s ready to return.
Good luck, Christian! We’re all rooting for you.
