Christian Eriksen has been recalled to the Denmark squad for the first time since suffering a heart attack at Euro 2020.
Denmark face Netherlands and Serbia in international friendlies later this month. And boss Kasper Hjulmand has named Eriksen in his 23-man squad following the ex-Tottenham star’s impressive return to action with Brentford in the Premier League.
Eriksen, 30, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 match against Finland at Copenhagen’s Parken stadium, has not played for his country since the incident, which saw him undergo life-saving surgery treatment on the pitch. He later declared he had “died for five minutes” during the incident last June.
After being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device he was forced to leave Inter Milan in December, as Serie A rules would not allow him to continue playing in Italy.
He joined the Bees in January and only made his debut for Thomas Frank’s men on February 26, playing the final 38 minutes of a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. He has since played the full 90 minutes in matches against Norwich City and Burnley, his class helping inspire Brentford to back-to-back wins.
Eriksen, who boasts 109 caps and 36 goals for his country, has made no secret of his desire to secure a place in the Danish squad for the World Cup in Qatar later this year, after fighting to return to action.
“My goal is to play in the World Cup in Qatar,” Eriksen said in January. “I want to play. That’s been my mindset all along. It’s a goal, a dream. Whether I’ll be picked is another thing. But it’s my dream to come back. I’m sure I can because I don’t feel any different. Physically, I’m back in top shape.
“My dream is to rejoin the national team and play at Parken again and prove that it was a one-timer and that it won’t happen again,” Eriksen added. “I want to prove I’ve moved on and that I can play [for] the national team again.
"Again, it’s up to the manager to assess my level. But my heart is not an obstacle.”
