Christian Eriksen says being back at World Cup after the collapse is a ‘very special
Christian Eriksen says it is “very special” to be back at the World Cup as he seeks to complete a remarkable comeback from his cardiac arrest during the European Championship last year.
The playmaker collapsed on the pitch against Finland in June 2021 and had to be resuscitated in front of a stunned Copenhagen crowd and a television audience of millions.
On the way to the hospital, he told his wife Sabrina that he would probably never play football again, but he was back in action eight months later.
The 30-year-old had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted, which meant he had to quit Inter Milan due to rules in Italy.
But not only did he sign for Brentford in the Premier League but also resumed his international career.
“From the first interview I did, [reaching the World Cup] was my first aim from day one, when I knew about the possibility of being able to come back,” Eriksen said.
“It (the collapse) gave me an appreciation of being alive and being with my family. I think everything else has just moved to the side.”
You sense he’s done talking about what happened at Parken Stadium in 2021. He calls it the “accident” when asked, but his focus is simply being back in the red of Denmark.
With their talisman back in top form Denmark looks like an even stronger proposition than the side that was only narrowly eliminated from Euro 2020, in the semi-finals, by England.
“For me personally being part of the team is always good,” said Eriksen. “I hope I can help the team as much as I can in any way.
“I know we’ve beaten France but normally France in a tournament is a different team compared to the rest of the year. We know what to do and we look forward to it.”
“The national team has always been strong. I do think the belief in the squad and from you guys, the fans, was bigger when I came back from the fall.”
Denmark’s assistant coach Morten Wieghorst said Eriksen was an “inspiration” for his teammates and the rest of his country.
“Christian is very humble, and a lot of people look up to him,” Morten says. “A lot of people took inspiration from the way he has rebounded.”
“In my view, he’s been even better than he was before the accident,” Wieghorst said. “I really do believe that he’s become an even better player if that was possible.”
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/3HK7MpSd-Hc
- https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4807758/christian-eriksen-returns-for-denmark-at-world-cup-2022-after-euros-collapse
- https://www.yahoo.com/video/eriksen-says-being-back-world-144430403.html
- https://readloud.net/
About Author
