Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen's career has been nothing short of extraordinary.
The Denmark international shot to fame with Ajax, where he won Eredivisie three times along with the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup. His stellar performances in Holland earned a move to Tottenham Hotspur, where Eriksen then became one of the best midfielders in the world.
While he failed to add any silverware to his trophy cabinet during his time in London, his consistently impressive displays earned a move to Inter Milan, where he won Serie A under Antonio Conte. As we all know, though, what happened next almost brought his life, let alone his career, to a startling end.
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Eriksen collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 clash with Finland in June last year. The Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) that had to be fitted into Eriksen's chest and attached to his heart was against Serie A rules, meaning he was subsequently let go by Inter.
That meant the midfielder made his return to football with Brentford several months later, joining the Bees on the final day of the January transfer window last season, and spending just six months in London before signing for United on a free transfer in the summer. It is incredible that Eriksen is set to play at a World Cup for his country, even more so that he goes into it as one of United's best players so far this season.
And Eriksen now stands on the verge of achieving the target he set for himself following the horror events in Copenhagen 17 months ago. He says he set his sights on playing at the World Cup once he was training with Ajax on his comeback trail last December.
He said: "It's special, my only aim was to come back and be fit enough to play. It's been a long journey, it's very special to be at a World Cup and I'm really happy to be part of it again.
"I think one of the first conversations I had with the doctor in Amsterdam, who participated in all the testing, was about it being my goal to play in the World Cup if everything went well. That was the dream at the time.
"I think the World Cup is separate, the reason for being alive was my family and everything else was moved to the side. Football has been my life. The focus was going back to what I was before, was the aim - that was the second aim. But my first aim was to be a husband again, well not a husband, a boyfriend."
After the horror events at Euro 2020, Eriksen sent a message to fans thanking them for their support, as he insisted that he 'won't give up'. This World Cup now provides the perfect reward for the midfielder's incredible fortitude since the awful events of that day in Copenhagen.
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