Christian Eriksen says he is recovering well and spending time with his family after collapsing during Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine on Sunday.
The 34-year-old midfielder spent the night in hospital following the incident and later reassured fans in a statement shared on Instagram that his recovery was already underway.
The match in Odense was halted in the 65th minute after Eriksen collapsed on the pitch. The game was subsequently abandoned, although the former Manchester United and Tottenham midfielder was able to leave the field after regaining consciousness.
Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland in 2021, has since been fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a device designed to monitor heart rhythms and deliver treatment if necessary.
“As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major effect on both me and my family, but I want to assure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021,” Eriksen said.
He expressed gratitude to the medical staff who responded on the pitch and to the doctors who have monitored his condition over the years.
“Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it,” he added.
Denmark national team doctor Morten Boesen confirmed that the device functioned as intended during the incident.
The ICD enabled Eriksen to resume his professional career in 2022 with Brentford before later joining Manchester United. He now plays for VfL Wolfsburg.
“For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children,” he said.
Medical experts say ICDs continuously monitor heart rhythms and can quickly deliver a shock if a potentially life-threatening abnormal rhythm is detected, helping prevent cardiac arrest.
Eriksen’s return to football after his 2021 cardiac arrest has been widely regarded as one of the sport’s most remarkable comeback stories.
