MY ACCOUNT
Christian Eriksen’s best performances for Denmark could well be yet to come, according to coach Kasper Hjulmand.
After scoring when Denmark faced the Netherlands last week – his first international outing since suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch last June – Eriksen took the captain’s armband for his return to the site of his collapse in Tuesday’s friendly against Serbia at Parken.
The Brentford midfielder marked the occasion with a lovely curling finish from the edge of the box, adding to strikes from Joakim Maehle and Jesper Lindstrom to complete a 3-0 victory.
Eriksen was greeted by a banner reading “Welcome back, Eriksen” as led his team-mates out in Copenhagen and was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the second half.
“It was Christian Eriksen’s comeback at Parken – it was magical,” Hjulmand said.
“We can see the blueprint for a relaxation and lightness in Christian’s game, which is fantastic. He is so clear and calm, and he plays a lot of deep balls with his right and left feet, he keeps the game going when he needs to. It is a pleasure to see the way he makes himself comfortable on the pitch.
“I think we can get something even better out of Christian for the next few years.”
Jannik Vestergaard believes Eriksen, who only returned to competitive action last month, has a new outlook on life and his career that is enabling him to perform to a high level.
“You have to be careful what you say, but he was almost better than ever,” said Vestergaard.
“He played with ease … it may have really dawned on him how happy he is to play football. The pressure on him as our best player for many years then takes second place.
“I think Christian enjoys every moment. Football is not everything in life, but for us football players it takes up quite a lot. He looks like someone who loves to be back, loves to play football and loves to play for Denmark.
“I think there were many people who looked forward to getting Christian Eriksen back at Parken, and we had that too.
“It was also great for us. It was a way to really put an end to some experiences we have had.”
