A second return to life. Eight months after his heart attack at the Euro, during a match against Finland on June 12, Christian Eriksen should tread again, this Saturday, the lawn of a football field with Brentford, Premier League club which he joined at the end of January. Given lost to football, the 30-year-old Danish midfielder was deemed fit for top-level sport.
The only uncertainty surrounds his status on the match sheet: holder or substitute? His coach Thomas Frank said Friday that the playmaker would have playing time when receiving Newcastle, in a duel of poorly ranked across the Channel. “Christian will be in the squad and we’ll see him on the pitch,” Frank told reporters on Friday. It’s a big day for all of us, but especially for Christian and his family. »
It’s a safe bet that Brentford supporters will give him a triumphant welcome and it wouldn’t be surprising if there were a few tears in the stands, where Eriksen’s family and friends will be seated. A new page being written to definitively turn that of June 12. The images of the Dane lying on the lawn of Parken, surrounded by his Danish teammates and under the eyes of the 32,000 spectators, had caused a wave of emotion in the world of football.
He says himself “Surprised” by his return to form
Since the incident, Eriksen has remained determined to return to the pitches as soon as it emerged there was no risk to his health. Forced to leave his former club, Inter, due to Italian regulations which prohibit players fitted with a defibrillator from playing in Serie A, he joined Brentford in January. Since then, he has played two friendlies against Southend, then against Glasgow Rangers on Monday where he provided two assists.
Eriksen said he was “feeling very good” on the English club’s website and even admitted to being surprised by his physical condition since stepping up his training. “I’m a little surprised that my body behaves the way it does. Of course, I trained hard, but I didn’t expect to be as fit as I am now. It’s very positive, he said. This is what I have been waiting for for many months. It’s very nice to be on the field as part of a team. »