Excited to show that you can play again with an ICD, proclaims Christian Eriksen
Brentford’s Christian Eriksen has revealed that he’s excited to show the world that anyone can play with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after recovering and doing their tests. The Danish midfielder hasn’t played a game of football after collapsing on the field during Euro 2020.
Following his cardiac arrest on the field, during Denmark’s first game at Euro 2020, few expected Christian Eriksen to be back in a Premier League team just over six months later. But the Danish midfielder has been training for the last three odd months, at various clubs, although he was forced to leave Inter Milan, by mutual consent, after being suspended by the Serie A. That is because the Italian league has a rule that stops players from playing with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) although the Premier League has no such rules.
It’s why Brentford signed the 29-year-old in January, on a free transfer, to a six-month contract. He will become the first one to ever play with an ICD but Eriksen admitted that while his recovery was difficult, his aim is to show the world that one can play at the top level even with an ICD. He added that his main challenge has been to overcome what he went through and trying to find a way back to normal.
"It was difficult. The first three months, I didn't do anything but then the last three or four months I've been doing the rehab programme. 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 on the family. But in the last few months, it's come back,” Eriksen said, reported Sky Sports.
"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 The challenge was more overcoming what really happened. You want to get back to normal, but for me, normal was getting back to playing in Italy but I wasn't allowed to do this. So for me, the normal had to change. We have the chance to get back to a normal life at Brentford.
"That is my aim [to be seen as Eriksen the elite footballer again]. I've been given the green light from the doctors, that I am able of being the footballer Christian. Of course, I will always have it with me, and everyone will have the memory of what happened, but this is now the time to make new memories and look forward.
"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,” he added.