Christian Eriksen has not taken long to live up to his billing at Manchester United, making a strong impression in his first appearances for his new club.
The Danish playmaker, 30, joined the Red Devils on a free transfer this summer, signing a three-year contract at Old Trafford. He brings a wealth of creative pedigree after brilliant spells with Tottenham and Inter Milan, and has forged a remarkable route back to top-level football after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
It is easy to understand why his arrival at United has been met with plenty of excitement and he impressed on his first outing, scoring a free kick in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wrexham in midweek. Eriksen was given his first run-out in front of fans on Saturday, coming off the bench against Atletico Madrid in Oslo, Norway.
The Ajax academy graduate replaced Anthony Martial with the scores level at 0-0 and quickly took a firm grip on the game, creating a number of opportunities for those around him in more attacking positions. Although Joao Felix scored a late winner for Atletico, Eriksen's cameo was one of the positives for the Red Devils and he has staked a strong claim to start the club's first Premier League game, against Brighton next Sunday.
His promising start to life in a United shirt will come as no surprise to Erik ten Hag, who heaped praise on his new signing shortly after he put pen to paper on his deal. "I think he is a magnificent football player and I think the fans will enjoy watching him, because he's creative, he has ideas," the manager said of Eriksen. "I think especially our strikers will also be happy because he's the one who can involve them in the game."
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Ten Hag also singled out Eriksen for praise after the loss to Atletico, saying: "We know what he is able to do. I think with our front men, he is able to give them the right passes in the right moment. He will create chances but then it is about finishing."
The Dutchman's concluding comment referred to the Red Devils' failure to capitalise on the chances they created against Atletico. United outshot the Spanish club by 13 efforts (four on target) to seven (two on target) but were unable to find a way though Jan Oblak. Ten Hag's side have the chance to end pre-season on a high note as they take on another Spanish club, Rayo Vallecano, at Old Trafford on Sunday.
