WATCH: "I'm glad I'm still a footballer'' Christian Eriksen After Scoring Two Minutes Into His Return In The Danish Shirt Since His Cardiac Arrest At The Euro 2020
Christian Eriksen scores a brilliant emotional goal on his return to the Denmark national team nine months after suffering a cardiac arrest in Euro 2020.
Eriksen scored with his first touch, just two minutes on his return to international football, following Denmark's 4-2 defeat to Netherlands in a friendly game on Saturday night.
A little more than nine months – 287 days – after his collapse at Euro 2020, Eriksen pulled off a remarkable comeback at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
To the resounding applause of the Dutch public and manager Louis van Gaal in particular when he came off the bench, Eriksen raised his hands to the sky in thanks.
Two minutes after coming on at half-time, the Brentford midfielder then scored a superb goal with a powerful strike into the top corner, his 37th goal in 110 appearances.
Eriksen was clearly delighted with his strike which cut the Dutch lead to 3-2.
He was congratulated by his team-mates, many of whom were there when he suffered his cardiac arrest.
The 30-year-old collapsed in Denmark’s opening game of the European Championships against Finland in Copenhagen last June.
He had to be resuscitated on the pitch, lying unconscious for several minutes as the stunned crowd and millions of television viewers around the world watched on in horror.
Eriksen spent several days in hospital and had a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat.
He terminated his contract with Inter Milan by mutual consent in December as Italian league rules bar players with pacemakers.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN SCORES TWO MINUTES INTO HIS RETURN TO INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL!!! pic.twitter.com/BztWOVLGqM
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 26, 2022
"I feel like a footballer again", Eriksen told NOS camera . ,,I'm happy to be back, and this is a great start. It feels very good to get back on the field, I especially had looking forward to it. Couldn't have had a better start. I don't feel like I've been away."
He was satisfied with his quick goal. "But I would have liked to have made two," said the midfielder. "I'm still the same footballer with the same qualities. I don't feel any difference. But I'm glad I'm still a footballer."
He often thinks back about the moment at the European Championship. “I often meet people who write about it. Each article with images and photos brings back memories. But that's going to change. It's now more about the footballer than about the man who was away for a few minutes during the European Championship."
He was signed by Premier League outfit Brentford in January, making three appearances to date.
It was also fitting he scored in the Amsterdam Arena, the home of Ajax.
Eriksen came through the ranks at the Dutch side, making 162 appearances for the club and winning five trophies, including three consecutive league titles between 2011 and 2013.
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