Footballer Christian Eriksen has thanked well-wishers from around the world after suffering a cardiac arrest during his team’s Euro 2020 game
The Danish midfielder, Christian Eriksen, posted a picture of himself smiling from his hospital bed, giving a thumbs up.
In the message posted to the Danish football association‘s Twitter account, he said: “Big thanks for your sweet and amazing greetings and messages from all around the world. It means a lot to me and my family.
“I’m fine – under the circumstances. I still have to go through some examinations at the hospital, but I feel okay.
“Now, I will cheer on the boys on the Denmark team in the next matches.
The 29-year-old collapsed to the ground around 40 minutes into Denmark’s game against Finland, at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, on Saturday.
This comes after Christian Eriksen was reportedly in a “good mood” as doctors continued to carry out tests following his collapse during a Euro 2020 football match. The Danish footballer is currently recovering in hospital after he collapsed 42 minutes into the game between Denmark and Finland in Copenhagen on Saturday.
Medics attended Eriksen after being quickly ushered onto the field by English referee Anthony Taylor, while Denmark captain Simon Kjaer made what has been hailed as a life-saving intervention by securing his neck, clearing his airways and starting CPR.
Danish players then formed a ring around their teammate and comforted Eriksen’s partner, who appeared distraught as she went on to the pitch.
The Inter Milan star was attended quickly by medics who, as stunned spectators in the stadium and millions more television viewers around the continent watched in horror, worked to resuscitate him.
Doctors later confirmed he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
The British Heart Foundation defines a cardiac arrest as “when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body”.
On Monday, Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said he had visited Eriksen at the hospital and believed the team had “the strength to be able to come together” and “do something special”.
This comes after most lockdown rules will remain in place in England for four weeks after the planned 21 June easing, Boris Johnson has confirmed. Senior ministers have signed off on a decision to delay the lifting of all legal restrictions had been put upon social contact as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
He told broadcaster DR: “It was damn nice to see him smile and laugh and be himself and just feel that he is there. It was a great experience and something that has helped me a lot.
“We’re still in the tournament. Now, we have to try to see if we can win this and do it for Christian and do it for all the fans who sat with us and were just as powerless in the situation as we were.
“I have no doubt that this team has the unity, the strength to be able to come together and go out and do something special.”
The match resumed later that evening with Finland eventually securing a 1-0 victory.
Inter Milan midfielder Eriksen, who spent seven years in English football with Tottenham, has received messages of support from footballers, fans, politicians and royals.
