London (AP) – Christian Eriksen does not want to be treated preferentially when he returns to the Premier League after his heart disease.
“I told my teammates on the first day that there was no reason to treat me with kid gloves. Otherwise I wouldn’t need to be on the football field anymore,” said Eriksen of FC Brentford in an interview broadcast on Sky. “If I wasn’t 100 percent fit, then I wouldn’t be taking part in this adventure either.”
All tests of his heart were positive, said the 29-year-old, noting that he had received a lot of advice from doctors. Eriksen also spoke to ex-Ajax Amsterdam team-mate Daley Blind, who encouraged him to trust the implanted defibrillator and the technology behind it. Some time ago, Blind himself had one of these implants inserted.
The 109-time Denmark international had returned to the Premier League on the last day of the transfer window. Eriksen had previously had to undergo extensive medical examinations at newly promoted Brentford. He suddenly collapsed on June 12, 2021 during the European Championship game against Finland in front of his home crowd in Copenhagen – his heart stopped without warning.