Christian Eriksen spoke about the ‘special atmosphere’ of the Parken Stadium on the eve of Manchester United’s crunch Champions League clash with Copenhagen.
It was also Eriksen whose cardiac arrest on the pitch there during Euro 2020 sent the place into an eerie silence and shocked the wider football world.
That the Danish midfielder is not only still playing football, but still playing the game at such an elite level, is truly remarkable.
Eriksen, 31, has of course played at the Parken numerous times for his country since that dramatic night in June 2021 but this will be the first time he has faced Copenhagen there.
Despite being on the opposition side, Eriksen is assured of a warm reception from the locals on Wednesday night.
Christian Eriksen’s Denmark team-mates form a protective ring around him following his cardiac arrest in the Euro 2020 match against Finland at the Parken Stadium in June 2021
Simon Kjaer and Kasper Schmeichel comfort Eriksen’s partner Sabrina Kvist Jensen
Eriksen pictured with his partner Sabrina on the red carpet at a Laureus event in May this year
Those watching the scenes feared the worst when Eriksen was covered with a white sheet
The affection for him was apparent in the tears shed and prayers offered in those horrific minutes when we didn’t know if Eriksen was dead or alive after he collapsed to the turf preparing to receive a throw-in three minutes before half-time.
Looking back now, it is astonishing the opening group stage game against Finland was played to a finish that night. Denmark lost 1-0 but the scoreline was very much irrelevant.
Millions of football fans around the world saw the awful sight of Eriksen collapsing, medics rushing on to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation as his team-mates formed a protective ring to block the TV cameras’ view.
We saw the heart-rending shot of Denmark defender Simon Kjaer trying to comfort Eriksen’s distraught partner Sabrina Kvist Jensen pitchside.
There followed a vacuum of information for about an hour as broadcasters hastily cut back to their studios. Those inside the stadium saw Eriksen wheeled away to hospital on a stretcher surrounded by white sheets. Mercifully, he was conscious.
For a time, Denmark and the wider football community had to confront the possibility of a superstar player – and a fit, healthy young man – dying of a cardiac arrest on the field.
Only when a message was displayed on the Parken’s big screens that Eriksen was alive and stable in hospital could everyone exhale.
Thankfully, Eriksen regained consciousness before he was taken to hospital for treatment
It was a traumatic moment for fans inside the Parken Stadium as they waited for updates
There was an outpouring of love for Eriksen in Denmark and elsewhere as he recovered
Eriksen gives the thumbs up from his hospital bed three days after his cardiac arrest
But that didn’t necessarily mean Eriksen could continue playing football. In the following days, as Denmark harnessed the raw emotion of that moment to reach the Euro semi-finals, he was fitted with a defibrillator.
Other footballers who’d experienced cardiac arrests, such as Fabrice Muamba, had been forced to retire. In the short-term, Eriksen couldn’t continue at his club Inter Milan because of Serie A rules about defibrillators.
Two years on, Eriksen has not only continued his career at club and international level, but has thrived.
Given the all-clear by doctors, Eriksen recovered his fitness by training at OB Odense in his homeland before signing for Brentford on a six-month contract in January 2022.
With Danish manager Thomas Frank in charge and international team-mates such as Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen in the squad, it was something of a no-brainer.
Eriksen poses for an Instagram snap with partner Sabrina and their two children
Eriksen was playing for Inter Milan at the time but Serie A rules over defibrillators meant his contract there had to be terminated
His return to football at Brentford was a heartwarming tale as he played in the Premier League
What surprised many was how effective Eriksen was on his Premier League return. He contributed four assists in 11 outings and only Kevin De Bruyne and Martin Odegaard created more chances in the English top-flight during the time he was at Brentford.
No doubt the Bees wanted to keep him but Eriksen had loftier ambitions and, as a free agent again, he joined United ahead of last season.
It proved a masterstroke by new United manager Erik ten Hag. Eriksen netted twice and contributed 10 assists in his debut season and it might have been more if not for an ankle injury.
He dovetailed very nicely with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the midfield, helping United end a six-year trophy drought by lifting the Carabao Cup and return to the Champions League via a third-place finish.
The current season has been more of a struggle, with Ten Hag under pressure following demoralising defeats both at home and in Europe.
Eriksen joined Manchester United in the summer of 2022 and has largely performed well
He returned to international football with Denmark in March 2022, scoring against Holland
Eriksen’s first return to the Parken following his cardiac arrest saw him score against Serbia
Eriksen has been one of the better performers, introduced by Ten Hag at half-time in the earlier group games against Galatasaray and Copenhagen at Old Trafford.
The Dane does offer more midfield creativity and his presence usually lifts United in that regard. It was Eriksen’s cross that Harry Maguire headed home to beat the Danish champions a fortnight ago.
Eriksen returned to the international fold while still at Brentford, scoring just a couple of minutes after coming on in a friendly with the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
A few days later, he made an emotional return to the Parken as Denmark’s captain against Serbia, again finding the net.
He has since played in 15 more international games, including three at the Qatar World Cup last year.
Eriksen sits alongside Erik ten Hag in United’s press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday
Every return to Denmark’s national stadium must throw up strong emotions for Eriksen.
On Wednesday, United need a performance from Eriksen and everyone else if they’re to keep alive their hopes of Champions League football post-Christmas.
He silenced the place once in the most terrible of circumstances. If he silences it again on Wednesday night, United will be doing something right.
Sarah Wilson is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
