Christian Eriksen has confirmed he is recovering at home with his family after collapsing during Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine on Sunday.
The Danish midfielder spent the night in hospital following the incident before giving a positive update on his condition, assuring fans that he is recovering well.
The game in Odense was abandoned after Eriksen collapsed in the 65th minute. Medical staff quickly helped the 34-year-old, who regained consciousness and was able to leave the field on foot.
Eriksen thanks the medical staff
In a statement shared on Instagram, Eriksen thanked those who helped him and clarified that the incident was different from the heart attack he suffered during the 2021 European Championship.
“As you can probably imagine, the shock from my ICD has had a big effect on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this is a different situation than what happened in 2021,” Eriksen said.
“In addition to being grateful for the support and help from all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have taken care of 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.”
Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) after suffering a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland.
The focus turns to recovery
Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen previously confirmed that the device functioned as intended during Sunday’s incident.
The midfielder said that his immediate priority is recovery and spending time with his loved ones.
“For now, I’m focused on recovery, spending time with my family, going on vacation and playing soccer with my kids,” he added.
Eriksen returned to professional football with Brentford in 2022 after recovering before spending three seasons at Manchester United. He currently plays for Wolfsburg in Germany.
Before returning, Eriksen expressed confidence in continuing his career at ICD.
“I don’t see any risk, no. I have an ICD, if anything happens I’m safe,” he told BBC Sport in 2022.
The latest update will come as welcome news to football fans following concerns following a collapse during a friendly.
