Eriksen wants to surprise at the World Cup after gaining a new life

It was just before the end of the first half when Christian Eriksen ran to receive the ball in the touchline and fell unconscious. The reactions of the players from Denmark and Finland highlighted the seriousness of the situation. In tears or in stunned silence, fans at Parken Stadium watched the Danish star’s fight for life.

At the age of 29, the player had suffered a cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. Still on the lawn, he received care for 11 minutes. During that time, teammates formed a circle around him as doctors tried to resuscitate him with cardiac massage and the aid of a defibrillator.

In tears, Sabrina Jensen, Eriksen’s wife, went down to the field and was soothed by her husband’s colleagues. She and the entire stadium only felt some relief when the player left the pitch on a stretcher, but awake.

“I was out of this world for five minutes,” he told the British BBC network.

Just over a year ago, in June 2021, the Danish midfielder was playing for the Euro 2020, delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when he “died” on the field, as stated by the Denmark national team doctor, Morten Boesen. “Christian died for a few minutes, but we brought him back.”

At the time, it was suggested that his professional career might have ended. But, after that moment of extreme difficulty, giving up one of the things he loves most didn’t seem like an option.

Seven months after the drama, recovered from surgery to place an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), the player made his first public appearance, on a Danish TV network. Not only did he say he would return to play, but he revealed his biggest dream.

“I want to play for the national team in the World Cup,” he said. “My heart is not an obstacle.”

He would prove it on February 26 of this year, when he made his debut for Brentford against Newcastle, in a duel for the Premier League. The midfielder entered the field seven minutes into the second half and was given a standing ovation by fans of both teams. Your team lost the match 2-0.

“Aside from the result, I’m a happy man,” said Eriksen. “Going through what I went through and being back is a wonderful feeling.”

The player had a contract with Inter Milan when he went into cardiac arrest. After the medical need to use an ICD, he was terminated. The athlete could not continue in Italy because the regulations of the national league prohibit players from entering the field with such a device.

In England, the Dane gradually found good football again. He was an important part of Brentford’s stay in the top flight and, in March, he was called up again.

The team debut was against Holland, in a friendly, defeat by 4 to 2. It was from shirt 10 one of the Danish goals, a moment of redemption.

Eriksen has been constantly called up by coach Kasper Hjulmand ever since. The ace should again be the great leader of his country in the dispute of the World Cup in Qatar. It will be the third Cup for the player, who was in South Africa in 2010 and Russia in 2018.

At World Cups, he is still looking for his first goal. For the selection, he has already shown to have a keen sense of smell. In 72 games, he scored 25 times in official games. He is Denmark’s eighth top scorer.

The performance in the current season boosts confidence in a good performance in the Middle East.

In July of this year, Eriksen was signed by Manchester United. At Old Trafford he got off to a rough start, as did the entire team, who struggled to find themselves in the opening rounds of the Premier League. Now, he is one of the highlights of the team, which has recovered and is just three points away from the lead.

With the United shirt, he hopes to remain at a high level to reach the World Cup in a position to help Denmark surprise.

“I still have big ambitions in football, there’s so much I know I can achieve, and this is the perfect place to continue my journey.”

This is the first in a series of ten texts about players who can surprise at the 2022 World Cup. They will be published on Tuesdays.