Brentford

Brentford

Premier League • England

Christian Eriksen back in Premier League as Brentford make promise after announcing deal

Christian Eriksen Denmark TEAMtalk

Christian Eriksen has completed his return to football after Brentford announced his signing on terms until the end of the season.

Eriksen has been without a club since Inter Milan had to release him due to the heart device he is fitted with. Of course, the scenes at Euro 2020 when he collapsed during Denmark’s opening group match were sadly unforgettable.

There has been much concern for the playmaker’s welfare since. But he has been training alone and with some former clubs in an effort to get back into football.

That could not be in Italy, where it is forbidden to play with devices such as the one Eriksen has. So, after Inter let him go, it was a case of looking for a new club.

Brentford soon set about adding him to their Danish contingent. Now, after all the necessary medical checks, the deal has been completed.

Eriksen has signed a six-month contract to play for Brentford until the end of the season.

In doing so, he will be reunited with Thomas Frank, who used to coach him at youth level for Denmark.

Frank told Brentford’s website: “I am looking forward to working with Christian again. It has been a while since I last coached him, and a lot has happened since then.

“Christian was 16 at the time and has become one of the best midfield players to appear in the Premier League. He has also won trophies all over Europe and become the star of the Danish national team.

“We have taken an unbelievable opportunity to bring a world class player to Brentford. He hasn’t trained with a team for seven months but has done a lot of work on his own.

“He is fit but we will need to get him match fit and I am looking forward to seeing him work with the players and staff to get back towards his highest level.

Frank outlines best Eriksen attributes

“At his best, Christian has the ability to dictate games of football – he can find the right passes and is a goal threat. He also has very, very good set piece delivery, both from corners and direct free kicks.

“He is a player you can find with the ball, and he will come up with a solution to the problem in front of him. Christian will also bring experience of top level football to the club. I expect him to have an impact in the dressing room and at the training ground.”

Eriksen, capped more than 100 times by Denmark, has enjoyed spells with Ajax, Tottenham and Inter during his career.

His original spell in the Premier League brought 226 appearances and 51 goals. Since then, he played 43 times in Serie A over 18 months with Inter, culminating in winning the Scudetto.

Now, he is ready for a new challenge – although all that will matter is him being healthy and back on the pitch.

Eriksen will have to wait to train with Brentford due to Covid-19 travel rules. He will not arrive in London for a few days and won’t train this week.

Brentford director of football explains process

Naturally, some may still have concerns about whether it is the right decision for Eriksen to return to football.

But Brentford’s director of football, Phil Giles, wants the focus to be on the pitch and insists all the necessary care has been taken.

He added: “We first discussed the possibility of Christian joining Brentford when we heard that he would be leaving Inter. It is fantastic that he is now with us.

Christian Eriksen former Inter Milan midfielder in Serie A action

“Naturally the process of signing Christian was more elongated than most transfers. I understand that many people will have questions about the process.

“In order to respect Christian’s medical confidentiality, we won’t be going into any details. Brentford fans can rest assured that we have undertaken significant due diligence to ensure that Christian is in the best possible shape to return to competitive football. Now Christian has made the decision to sign for Brentford, all parties want to focus fully on football.

“We are sure that Christian will make a big impact at Brentford and on the Premier League between now and the end of the season.”

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