'Time to make new memories': Christian Eriksen opens up about return to football with Brentford (WATCH)

Denmark's Christian Eriksen, who has signed for Brentford on a six-month deal, has spoken publicly for the first time on his sensational return to football and Premier League just seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. In an interview with Brentford's channel, the midfielder opened up on why he accepted the Bees' offer over others and revealed he knew he would play football again just two days after the incident that shook the sporting community.

The 29-year-old collapsed on the field during Denmark's Euro 2020 clash against Finland in Copenhagen last summer and was subsequently fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). As per Serie A rules, Eriksen would not be allowed to play with Inter Milan with the device fitted. In December 2021, his contract with the Italian giants was mutually terminated.

After training with boyhood side Odense and Ajax's youth team to boost his fitness levels, Eriksen signed for Brentford on the last day of the January 2022 transfer window. The midfielder underwent a lengthy medical check, after which he was declared fit to return to football.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who coached Eriksen in the Danish youth setup, recently revealed that he spoke to the midfield over a telephone call in December to put the feelers out over a signing. The Bees' new number 21 has now revealed why he accepted Frank's offer.

Recalling his situation where he was without a club, Eriksen said that he underwent many tests to get where he is today and got the necessary approvals from doctors to say he could play again without any risks. 

"I spoke to Thomas a few times. I had a good feeling, Brentford is in London, for my family it's a good place to be. They play in the Premier League; for the next four or five months, I can get up to a level and show who I am as a football player. I think it was the best option and luckily they agreed to it. It's a perfect mix," Eriksen told Brentford's channel.

When asked about when he started to believe he could play football again, Eriksen revealed it was two days after the Euro 2020 incident. 

"I was in the moment, and I realised what had happened to me later on that night and then into the next few days what was going on. All the tests started, and the knowledge started to come in. Questions were being asked over whether I could do this or that; I listened to the doctors, and then afterwards it just slowly took off," the 29-year-old added.

Eriksen, who played for Tottenham Hotspur for seven years before moving to Inter Milan in 2020, stated that if he could do the programme with tests the doctors set for him, then there were chances of him playing football again.

"First of all, there were a lot of tests to see how the heart reacted to physical training again. Luckily, nothing came out of that, so everything was good. Every month, I could push it, and then I could play. Even with an ICD, there are no limits. There are no limits even with this condition," the midfielder asserted.

"You can run a marathon, deep-dive swimming or whatever; it just depends on the diagnosis and how you feel about it. I told Sabrina [his wife] I'd leave my boots but also to not be surprised if in a few days, I'd change my mind if everything was OK. Luckily, it's been OK," Eriksen added.

In the United Kingdom, it is not illegal for Eriksen to play with an ICD. When he takes the field for Brentford, the midfielder will become the first-ever to play with one in the Premier League.

Stating that his heart is 'not an obstacle' to return to football, Eriksen insisted that his move to Brentford allows him to return to a 'normal' way of life. He also wants to be seen as a footballer again, without the association of the June 2021 incident.

Also read: From Christian Eriksen to Fabrice Muamba: 6 footballers who collapsed on-field

Admitting that things were difficult in the first three months, the Danish midfielder stated that he had been undergoing a rehab programme in the last three or four months that has helped him a lot. 

"It was difficult to see matches at the start because you're always thinking that you want to be there. I even started to unfollow matches because your focus is on something else or the family. But in the last few months, it's come back. I've been able to touch the ball, I've smelt the grass, the football boots are on, and everything starts to come back inside you, the excitement of the stadium, the fans, the team and being involved," Eriksen added.

Insisting that the biggest challenge for him was overcoming what had happened, the Denmark international asserted that he was raring to return to an everyday life, which for him meant getting back to playing football. Given that he was not allowed to play in Italy with ICD, he added that Brentford gave him the chance to get back to a normal life.

Enforcing that his aim is to be seen as an elite footballer again, Eriksen confirmed he had been given the green light from doctors. Accepting that the Euro 2020 cardiac arrest incident will remain in his and everyone else's memory, the midfielder stated that the time has now arrived to make new memories.

"I'm excited to show that you can, with an ICD, and if you have had a cardiac arrest, if you do the proper tests and everything is OK, you can play again. I am happy about it," the 29-year-old concluded.