Eriksen Eager to Move Forward After Euro 2020 Trauma

Christian Eriksen

Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen is ready to put the traumatic events of Euro 2020 behind him as he prepares to make his first appearance at the tournament since his collapse.

Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest three years ago during Denmark's opening game against Finland, necessitating resuscitation with a defibrillator in front of a shocked Copenhagen crowd. The incident occurred during a 1-0 loss. Eriksen resumed his career after being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, returning to international duty nine months later.

The Manchester United midfielder represented Denmark at the 2022 World Cup and is set to start their Euro 2024 opener against Slovenia in Stuttgart on Sunday.

"For me personally, everything more than one game is an improvement, but it's been a goal since the beginning to come back to this level," the 32-year-old Eriksen told reporters on Saturday.

"It's been three years, a lot has happened in the meantime, and honestly, I don't think about it on a daily basis. It's not something I overthink. I'm just looking forward to playing football and focusing on the positives."

The shocking incident in 2020 united the Danish team, who reached the semi-finals before losing 2-1 to England after extra time at Wembley. Denmark will face England again in Group C this time, along with Serbia.

"I think those are great memories. Of course, it started very negatively and pessimistically, but later on, everything became more optimistic, and we felt freer," said Eriksen, who has been capped 130 times by Denmark. "But it's been a lot of years since then, and we're just going to focus on the games now."

Rasmus Hojlund's seven goals in qualifying helped Denmark top their section above Slovenia on a head-to-head record. However, the Manchester United striker has scored only once in his past eight internationals.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand played down any concerns over the youngster's recent goal drought. "It comes in phases. Sometimes you have periods where you score a lot of goals," Hjulmand said. "But thankfully, Rasmus always makes a big impression in every game. He's dangerous and fully motivated. He always makes a difference, which is the most important thing. The goals will come. Sometimes you have to fight more for the goals, and other times they just go in every time you kick."

Benjamin Sesko, who recently extended his RB Leipzig contract until 2029, will be the main threat Denmark must neutralize. The highly-rated 21-year-old led Slovenia with five goals in qualifying and finished his first Bundesliga season with 14 goals in 31 games.

"Sesko is very fast and has a great left foot. He's a player we know and have analyzed a lot because he is significant for Slovenia," said Hjulmand. "Sesko is a big star and a young attacker. We are ready for him."