Christian EriksenĀ has been discharged from hospital – but is refusing to be drawn on whether he will quit football after a second terrifying on-field collapse in the space of five years.
The former Manchester United and Tottenham star clutched his chest and fell to the floor during a Denmark friendly against Ukraine on Sunday – with hisĀ implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) providing a shock to restore his heart’s rhythm. The ICD was installed after his 2021 cardiac arrest which shocked fans worldwide.
But Eriksen says his latest collapse is ‘a different situation’.Ā
In a statement released this afternoon he said:Ā ‘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.’
But Thomas Gravesen, the former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder, says Eriksen must now retire for the good of his wife,Ā Sabrina Kvist Jensen.
She was pitchside for both of her husband’s collapses.
‘This has nothing to do with a career anymore. This has to do with life. It’s Christian Eriksen’s life,’ Gravesen, now working as a pundit, told Viaplay.Ā
‘I saw his wife storm onto the field once more. What kind of scenario is he putting her in? You have to think a little further than the tip of your own nose. Football is completely irrelevant when something like this happens.’
Gravesen has suggested that if Eriksen decides he wants to play on, the decision should be taken out of his hands and he should be forced to retire.Ā
More to follow.Ā
