Premier League club Brentford FC on Monday announced the signing of free agent Christian Eriksen. With the signing, the Denmark midfielder completes a stunning comeback 7 months after suffering a cardiac attack on the pitch during their Euro 2020 campaign last year.
Eriksen has not played since suffering a cardiac arrest June and has been training with former side Ajax Amsterdam to build up his fitness. He was given the go-ahead by doctors to return to football last month.
Eriksen had collapsed on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener and was given CPR on the field before he was moved to a hospital wherein he recovered. Eriksen’s contract with Inter Milan was terminated by mutual agreement last month because he is unable to play in Italy after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
“The 29-year-old signed his contract after completing a medical assessment. He has signed until the end of the 2021/22 season,” Brentford said in a statement.
The attacking midfield player is well known to Brentford FC Head Coach Thomas Frank. Christian played for Denmark’s Under-17 side when Thomas was coach of that group. He progressed quickly through the international ranks, making his full debut for Denmark aged 18.
“I am looking forward to working with Christian again. It has been a while since I last coached him, and a lot has happened since then. Christian was 16 at the time and has become one of the best midfield players to appear in the Premier League. He has also won trophies all over Europe and become the star of the Danish national team,” Thomas Frank said.
“We have taken an unbelievable opportunity to bring a World Class player to Brentford. He hasn’t trained with a team for seven months but has done a lot of work on his own. He is fit but we will need to get him match fit and I am looking forward to seeing him work with the players and staff to get back towards his highest level.
“Christian will also bring the experience of top-level football to the Club. I expect him to have an impact in the dressing room and at the Training Ground,” he added.
Eriksen began his senior career at Ajax, making his debut in 2010 as an 18-year-old after working his way through the club’s youth teams. After winning three top-flight Eredivisie titles in Amsterdam, he signed with Tottenham in 2013 before joining Inter in 2020.
However, his football career came to a sudden halt when he suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2022. Without their star midfielder, an inspired Denmark side reached the semi-final of the competition, losing to eventual runners-up England.
