From Pitch to Pacemaker: The Story of Christian Eriksen

| Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The opinions reflected in this OpEd are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, faculty and students of The King's College.

On June 14, the football world went silent. It was 43 minutes into Denmark’s first match of EURO 2020 versus Finland when Danish star and captain Christian Eriksen collapsed. An inflamed heart muscle led to a heart palpitation, leading to immediate cardiac arrest.

No one knows how to respond to an event like this. No reason behind it, just pure anomaly. 

From cheers to tears, Danish fans began pouring out their emotions as they witnessed their prized captain and midfielder maestro face down into the pitch. All the players and referees sprinted over to block the scene from the ever-pouring cameras.

Instead of going to commercial break, ESPN zoomed in on the scene and focused every inch of live television coverage on Eriksen, regardless of the fact that they were potentially capturing a professional athlete’s death. 

In a show of true heroism, teammate Simon Kjaer was seen holding Eriksen’s jaw and ensuring he didn’t choke on his tongue. On the sidelines, everyone saw goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel, consoling Eriksen’s partner and mother to his two children, Sabrina Jensen.

What stood out was the connection in the stadium that extended far beyond the game of football. Danish players linked arm to arm, circling around Eriksen, in prayer. Players and fans in unison, all one family, rallied for the great Dane. Behind the blockade, doctors and EMTs were seen resuscitating Eriksen and using a defibrillator to bring the number 10 back to life. 

It wasn’t until 15 minutes after his collapse that Eriksen was stretchered out of the stadium and rushed to the hospital. Nearly an hour went by before anyone knew of the midfielder’s status.. Post-surgery, the hospital finally confirmed Eriksen was alive and well. Eriksen himself even posted a selfie after the surgery to confirm to the football world he would fight on another day. 

The UEFA forced the Danish team to return to the pitch only hours after their beloved teammate collapsed and was taken to the hospital. With the threat of a 3-0 forfeit, Denmark returned to finish the game, losing 1-0 to Finland.

Without their star player, Denmark remained determined to stamp their Euro run, becoming the team of destiny. Defeat would be a thing of the past, as they went on to win every game up until the semifinal against England, losing 2-1, marking the longest run in any international competition in Danish national team history.

As for Eriksen, he couldn’t help but humbly support his team from his couch, witnessing their historic run, all in dedication to him. Forced to have surgery after going into cardiac arrest, the 29-year-old had a pacemaker placed in his heart that will remain with him wherever he goes. 

This is not the first time in the history of football where a player has suffered a near-death experience. In fact, Bolton Wanderers player, Fabrice Muamba, suffered a cardiac arrest on March 17, 2012 in a FA Cup match at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur. His heart stopped for more than 75 minutes, which in any hospital would’ve declared him dead. 

After hours of anesthesia and intensive care, Muamba was closely monitored until his heart was able to beat without medication on March 19, four days later. It wasn’t until April 15, nearly a month after the incident, when he was discharged from the hospital. 

After Eriksen’s cardiac arrest, Muamba spoke on BBC Radio, stating, “Everybody worried that I was on the floor — it's the people who are close to the person that need considering... What happened to Christian brought back stuff that I have put down in me, this emotion that is down there. The most important thing is that he's made that recovery. That is the most important news. I hope things turn out to be OK for him. I hope he will come through.” 

Now, over three months since his cardiac arrest, Eriksen is working towards what can be considered the greatest return in all of sports. Though it is a gradual return through constant moderation and consistent care, the feat is above all else. Inter Milan has already agreed to pay the remainder of his contract and work towards his return to football no matter how long it takes.

From an outside perspective, it seems outlandish and unsafe to even question the idea of playing again, but for the Danish Captain, he is determined to finish what he started, forging an even more extensive and impressive career. 

Awaiting a medical in October, Christian Eriksen eagerly waits as the news he will receive will be the determining factor of whether or not he plays professional ever again. As a football fan, you can only hope and rally for the attacking midfielder to return and make an impact once again. But as a human, you can only hope for the best for Eriksen and pray he remains healthy and safe. 

Whether or not Eriksen is forced to hang up the boots, we can only congratulate and recognize what a phenomenal career he had. While the world may forget, I won't. There was a time in history where Christian Eriksen was considered one of the better attacking midfielders in the world. The game was in control when the ball was at his feet; a true number 10. 

With over 225 Premier League appearances, 51 goals, 62 assists and two-time club player of the year, he is one of the better midfielders in Tottenham’s club history. Not to mention, he can be considered Denmark’s top player in their elongated history. With 109 international caps, 36 goals, 24 assists, the five-time Danish player of the year — the only player in Denmark’s history to reach this feat — has done more than enough to prove himself worthy of his country’s pride.

To see a player I grew up cheering on for several years suffer a cardiac arrest midgame and to think the world might lose him, was a truly devastating feeling. Now to see him attempting a return in which most, if not all, athletes in his shoes would stay away from, is remarkable. I have the utmost respect and praise for a player like Eriksen.