Christian Eriksen is currently recovering in hospital after collapsing during Denmark’s friendly international against Ukraine on Sunday.
The 34-year-old was thankfully conscious as he was taken off the pitch by medics, with the incident coming after the former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during a European Championship match in 2021.
Eriksen was quickly tended to by medics during the match in Odense, which the referee soon abandoned, as players from both sides formed a ring around the player when he was being treated before he was able to walk to an ambulance.
Will Christian Eriksen have to retire?
The Danish football federation later issued a statement confirming that Eriksen was conscious and ‘doing well under the circumstances’ after he was briefly unconscious.
Team doctor Morten Bosen then issued a further update on Monday, saying: “I spoke with Christian this morning and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits… the expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.”
This latest incident came during Eriksen’s 151st cap for his country and occurred five years after his collapse against Finland during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group match in May 2021.
Eriksen was rushed to hospital on that occasion, where he was stabilised and would be fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) due to ‘rhythm disturbances’ following his cardiac arrest, according to Boesen.
The Dane was playing for Inter Milan at the time and with Serie A rules dictating that players cannot play with ICDs fitted, his contract was terminated in December 2021, opening the door for Eriksen to continue his career with Premier League Brentford.
His first match back following his cardiac arrest came in February 2022, with his international return coming a month later.
After six months with the Bees, he signed for Manchester United, making 107 appearances for the Red Devils over three years before joining Wolfsburg on a free last summer.
Following this latest incident, there are likely to be fresh concerns over whether or not Eriksen will be able to continue his playing career.
With Eriksen still currently recovering in hospital, it is likely to be too early for any decisions to be made, but the Dane has 12 months remaining on his contract at Wolfsburg, who will play in the German second tier next season after they were relegated from the Bundesliga last season.
Updates are likely to follow in the coming days and weeks, when medical advice and the wishes of his family and friends no doubt be considered, but should the 34-year-old Eriksen decide to call time on his career, he will do so having made more than 800 appearances for club and country and having won league titles in the Netherlands and Italy.
