Christian Eriksen scored a wonder goal on his return to the site of his cardiac arrest horror on Tuesday night. The playmaker captained Denmark at the Parken Stadium, the ground at which he suffered a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.
Eriksen was handed the armband by Kasper Schmeichel for the game, and capped off a stellar performance by scoring the third goal in Denmark's rout of Serbia. The Brentford midfielder pickled the ball up on the edge of the area before firing a low shot into the bottom corner.
The 30-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch at the Parken Stadium last summer, and paramedics had to use a defibrillator in order to restart his heart. Many feared that, despite his recovery, Eriksen would never play football again, but the former Totteham Hotspur man returned to the Premier League earlier this year as he signed for relegation-threatened Brentford.
Eriksen's impressive domestic form earned him a fairytale recall to the Danish national side for the current round of international fixtures. The midfielder's inclusion was his first since being named in last summer's Euro 2020 squad, and capped an incredible few months for him.
The Serie A title-winner made the best possible return to action on Saturday night when he came on as a half-time substitute against the Netherlands at the Johan Cruyff ArenA - the stadium he played in for so many years during his time at Ajax.
Eriksen wasted no time and scored a peach of a goal with his first touch of the game just seconds after coming off, firing into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Eriksen received a standing ovation from all four stands after coming on against Holland, and said afterwards that his return to the national stage was "perfect". He said: "I was happy the ball came to me and of course, it was a lovely finish. To start the comeback in international football like this was the perfect way."
He went on to discuss Tuesday's homecoming at the Parken Stadium, and admitted he didn't know what to expect from his home fans. "I think it's something you can't prepare for," he said.
"The reception in Holland was very big and my expectation is it is going to be even bigger here. This is the place where it happened and people will see it.
"Afterwards people will be talking about it, like everything is back to normal. They are going to have a new memory. It's going to be special and I'm looking forward to it."
Eriksen's national team coach Kasper Hjulmand revealed after Saturday's game that he hadn't expected the playmaker to make such an immediate impact on the side.
He said: "I didn't expect that he could be so good so quickly. He was running without any difficulty and he brought rhythm to the game. He was very calm. I really appreciate seeing him play."
Eriksen's future beyond the end of the season is still up in the air, with his contract set to expire at the end of the Premier League campaign. Brentford are believed to be eager to keep him for another year, but are said to be cautious about interest from top six sides.
Tottenham, his former club, have been linked with a move to bring him back to north London, but The Times claims Brentford officials believe he could choose to stay at the club.
