Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen gave a positive update on his health Monday, following his on-field collapse in an international friendly against Ukraine at the Odense Isstadion, Denmark.
The 34-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United player fell to the turf in the 65th minute on Sunday appearing to hold his chest, causing the match to be abandoned. Eriksen was able to walk off the pitch by himself, though, only “briefly unconscious,” according to Danish team doctor Morten Boesen, before taken to the hospital for testing.
The event was nevertheless harrowing, especially in light of the seemingly all-too-similar instance that occurred five years ago. At Euro 2021, in a bout against Finland, Eriksen collapsed, suffering a cardiac arrest. His life was saved by emergency medical care and the rapid response of teammate Simon Kjær. Eriken was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) that regulates abnormal heart rhythms, allowing him to continue his career with Brentford and then United. This past season, he was a key starter for Bundesliga team VfL Wolfsburg.
Boesen revealed after Sunday’s incident that the ICD had shocked Eriksen during the match, “responding as it should.”
Eriksen Gives Positive Update
“I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family,” Eriksen said in a statement Monday. “As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021. I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started.
“In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years. Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.
“For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children.”
Denmark failed to qualify for the World Cup this summer, enabling Eriksen to stay home to recover over the international break. He has 151 appearances for his nation since making his debut in 2010 and has participated in three previous World Cups (2010, 2018, 2022).
