Christian Eriksen, all set for new world debut

“Playing the World Cup has always been my real goal.”

Perhaps only he believed this. Five hundred and twenty-eight days after his terrible cardiac arrest at Copenhagen’s Parken, the scene of the match between Denmark and Finland at Euro 2020, Christian Eriksen can say he has crowned his dream. The former Inter Milan midfielder, saved by Simon Kjaer’s intervention and heart massage by Scandinavian doctors, is back on the field to play a World Cup match. And already this would be enough to be happy, as the person himself does not hide.

“From the day I said I would like to be back on the field, playing the World Cup has always been my real goal,” Eriksen said in the press conference on the eve of his Denmark’s World Cup opener against Tunisia. “I am grateful to be here. It’s very special. Everything else is extra. This is now my slogan.”

The Asian World Cup debut, the fourth in the former Ajax and Tottenham man’s career, will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday against the North African outfit. Eriksen will play ‘wearing’ a subcutaneous defibrillator as usual. “Christian is our heart, our heartbeat. He is a fantastic player and an even better person,” said Danish coach Kasper Hjulmand.