MY ACCOUNT
Christian Eriksen will captain Denmark when he returns to Parken in a friendly against Serbia on Tuesday.
It will be the first time Eriksen has played in the stadium since he suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 group game against Finland last June.
The 30-year-old had to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted, which made him ineligible to play in Italy and resulted in him leaving Inter for Brentford.
He returned to competitive action in the Bees’ 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in February, and scored within two minutes of being introduced as a half-time substitute on his international comeback against the Netherlands in Amsterdam last week.
Eriksen will now have the honour of captaining his country when he steps back onto the pitch at Parken.
“It will definitely be very special because I have not been to Parken since it happened,” he said. “Now, I’m really looking forward to being back on the pitch and being a football player again.
“That’s what it’s about for me. But, I also look forward to the fact that after the match, we can put it behind us.
“It will be very emotional and very special, but I am looking forward to it because it is something positive we are talking about.”
Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand revealed that Kasper Schmeichel, who has skippered the side in the absence of the injured Simon Kjaer, approached him to ask that Eriksen be given the armband.
“It’s great to have him back. We’ve missed him,” Schmeichel added. “It’s not only on the pitch – we all saw what he can bring in the second half against the Netherlands – but also off the pitch. Something was missing.”
