Kjaer: “I’ll come back stronger. I love football, but it’s not that important anymore”

While waiting to return to the field, Simon Kjaer speaks often. More than I’ve ever done in my career. It’s normal: the Eriksen affair – combined with an excellent performance on the pitch – made the 32-year-old AC Milan central one of the footballing characters of 2021, and accolades flooded. After being included in the Top 30 of the Ballon d’Or, Kjaer received another symbolic award: for the prestigious Guardian he is the player of the year that has just ended. “The football field is the place where I feel most at ease – he says in the interview with the English newspaper -. When things like that happened to Eriksen happen, you take them with you for the rest of your life. But you learn from this and maybe it also allows me to play better football than before. I enjoy it, but I am more relaxed. I love to play football, it has always been like this, but I have no other 10 years in front of me and so I have to appreciate the time I have left “.

Him and Christian

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Although Kjaer expressed his willingness to leave behind the afternoon in which he decisively contributed to saving Christian Eriksen’s life, that moment is destined to remain forever within him: “I am honored and grateful for the certificates of esteem, but I always say it again, my reaction was impulsive and so was everyone’s. We acted as a team, I wouldn’t have been able to stay calm if I hadn’t had someone to lean on. Christian is not a colleague, he is first and foremost a our friend. That made it all that much more intense. I don’t think we can prepare for something like that. ” The relationship with Eriksen has obviously continued in the last few months: “I talk to him a lot. It has been my therapy. If Christian and his family are fine, then I will feel good too. That’s where I find my peace, and that makes me feel good. enough”. The thought goes back for a moment to the elimination of the European Championship at the hands of the English: “I’m still inc … for the penalty and for not having reached the final – he assures -. But in the end it was secondary and football became secondary for me. It’s not as important as it was before. “

Waiting for the return

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Kjaer’s season ended prematurely, due to a knockout knee: “It’s just my leg and it’s just football, even if both are quite important for a player – he jokes -. I prefer to see it as a positive and rare opportunity. I often have thought about what it would be like to spend two or three months away from games, both to be creative in optimizing my game and to make my body stronger. Normally this is never possible in a career. I would have preferred not to be injured but I have to accept it, work to overcome it and come out with a stronger version of myself “.

Confidence

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But what is the secret behind Kjaer’s maturation year after year? “In my mind I am a boy who grew up in a small town and my feet are solidly planted on the ground – he says -. But sometimes you have to be a little arrogant, a little ‘ignorant’ about your abilities, because he will push you a If you are playing against Messi or Ronaldo, they are probably better than you. But if you know that every day you do the c …, you can convince yourself that you are the best. I have to believe it. Otherwise I never will be. , and I will never give 100%. “