There will be a huge cheer from the away end at Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday evening when Christian Eriksen's name is read out before kick-off. Departing Tottenham in January 2020, the Dane will come up against his former club for the first time this weekend when the Lilywhites travel across the capital to take on Brentford.
Suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for his country at Euro 2020, many believed the 30-year-old would never take to the pitch again and have to call time on his career. However, Eriksen made an extraordinary return to the game with Brentford in January and is now wowing in the Premier League once again.
Playing in behind-closed-doors games to boost his fitness immediately after his move, the former Tottenham man made his top-flight return at the end of February as he played the final 38 minutes of their 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United. Eriksen has been a permanent fixture in the team since then having played the full 90 minutes in five of their last six matches, with his absence from the squad against Leicester City the only time he has been unavailable.
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His influence on Thomas Frank's team has been clear for all to see after helping his new club to five successive wins in his five starts, seeing them move away from relegation danger to within a point of the top half in the process. Scoring in the fantastic 4-1 win away at Chelsea, the Dane also has two assists to his name in his six Brentford appearances.
Only signing a short-term deal with Brentford until the end of the campaign, Eriksen faces a big decision this summer over whether he remains in west London or he moves on elsewhere. The player will not be short on offers going on the form he has showed since returning to the game, although many football fans will no doubt hope that there is some loyalty and he remains with the Bees after they took a chance on him.
It comes as no surprise to see that Tottenham have been linked with their former player. football.london understands that while Eriksen did not part Spurs on the best terms with its hierarchy, he loved the club and is believed to want to remain in the capital.
Amid his reunion with the Lilywhites on Saturday evening, Spurs boss Antonio Conte was asked about Eriksen in an interview with Sky Sports. The Italian knows the player very well from his time at Inter Milan and he has stated that it would be a "fantastic opportunity" to work with him again.
"I had the opportunity to work with him and to know him also as a person. I can speak only well about him," said Conte. "Now I'm delighted to see him that he's playing in this fantastic way. For sure we were surprised because don't forget what happened and we're talking about eight months ago. To see him in this form and enjoying football in this way makes me very happy."
When pressed on if he would like to work with him again at Tottenham, he added: "To work again with Christian, is a fantastic opportunity. I repeat, I enjoyed the time we spent together at Inter Milan. Despite the first time he didn't play regularly with me, but then when I understood what I wanted about him he played.
"We won together a title, the league in Italy, When you're this type of player, a great player, a good man, I think every manager, every coach likes to work with them."
Apart from last Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion, things have really clicked for Spurs in the final third in recent months with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski all contributing in terms of games and assists. That wasn't the case at the beginning of the season, however, with the team failing to create chances on goal under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Spurs have lacked a real No.10 ever since Eriksen departed for Italy just over two years ago and it's an area Fabio Paratici really needs to solve for Conte. The head coach did reveal earlier in the month that he does eventually want to bring in a No.10 so Kane can concentrate on his No.9 role, thus intensifying talk of an Eriksen summer transfer in the process.
"Harry, he was born a striker, however he has the talent and quality to play like a No.10 with another striker in front of him, but I like to have him as a striker and then eventually another No.10. Two different players with different characteristics," explained Conte.
He added: "Honestly I prefer Harry like a No.9, because when he stays into the box or the edge of the box he has great quality, right, left, also with a header, he has great potential, but sometimes when he goes back and creates space for Sonny, Bergwijn, Kulusevski and Lucas, and also the wing backs.
"It's important to have different options, otherwise you are predictable, and in modern football your team has to be unpredictable."
Amid the hunt for a new No.10, Eriksen has demonstrated over the past two months why he would be the perfect man to come in and give Tottenham a much-needed boost in that area of the pitch. Knowing the club inside out, as well as Conte from his time at Inter Milan, it is perhaps a no-brainer for many.
Hailed as an "unbelievable character" by Frank since his switch to west London, all eyes will be on Eriksen when he takes to the field at Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday evening. Set to be a pivotal figure in the game, the Denmark international has the perfect opportunity to show Conte and Paratici once again that he is the ideal man to fill Tottenham's No.10 void this summer.
