Christian Eriksen issues statement after collapsing during Denmark friendly

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Evening Standard

·8 June 2026

Christian Eriksen issues statement after collapsing during Denmark friendly

Dane thanked doctors and confirmed he is recovering well after latest heart scare

Christian Eriksen has issued a statement reassuring fans that he is recovering at home after collapsing during a Denmark friendly on Sunday.

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The former Tottenham, Brentford and Manchester United forward was seen clutching at his chest before collapsing to the turf 65 minutes into Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine.

He walked off the pitch under his own steam and was hospitalised, while the match was called off.

It is the second time in Eriksen’s career that he has collapsed mid-match. He suffered cardiac arrest while representing Denmark at Euro 2020 and was later fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a form of pacemaker, before returning to professional football with Brentford eight months later.

But in a new statement shared to his Instagram, he said Sunday’s incident was ‘a different situation’ to that of five years ago.

He wrote: “I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family. As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021.

“I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started.”

An earlier statement from Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen, the man credited with saving Eriksen’s life in 2021, confirmed he was in ‘good spirits’.

Eriksen continued: “In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players and the medical team on the field, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years.

“Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.

“For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children.”

It remains to be seen whether Eriksen, 34, will be able to represent Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga next season. He played 33 league matches for them last season, racking up nine assists and three goals.