Christian Eriksen is recovering after collapsing during Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine on Sunday, but the frightening incident has already sparked discussion about his future in football. The match was abandoned after the midfielder went down and required immediate medical attention on the field. Thankfully, Eriksen was conscious when he left the pitch and was later reported to be in good condition. While fans and teammates were relieved by the positive update, former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Andros Townsend admitted that, from an outside perspective, he would advise Eriksen to think about retirement. Townsend shared his views during an appearance on talkSPORT, where he also stressed that the midfielder’s health and family must come before football. The incident came almost five years after Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark during Euro 2020. Since then, he has returned to professional football and continued playing at the highest level for club and country.
Christian Eriksen health update as Andros Townsend explains why family should come before football
Speaking on talkSPORT’s Breakfast show, Townsend was asked whether he would recommend retirement following Eriksen’s latest health scare.“Of course, on the outside, yes, I’d advise him. There are so many more important things to worry about, he’s got a lovely family to worry about,” Townsend said.At the same time, Townsend acknowledged that only Eriksen truly understands what he wants for his future.“But, who knows what goes on inside the heads of anybody? Let alone a footballer who’s worked so hard to get to where he’s got to, who’s almost died on the pitch and has come back to play for Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world.”Townsend also pointed out that Eriksen has extra protection because of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted after his cardiac arrest in 2021.“It was a scare. I had a similar situation with Tom Lockyer at Luton, where he went down,” Townsend said.“Reading a bit more into it, speaking with him and doing some research, I think Christian Eriksen is probably in one of the most privileged positions that if that does happen, like it did, he’s got the defib in his heart, so he’s going to be shocked back to life.”Meanwhile, Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen provided a positive update on Monday.“I spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well. He is with family and in good spirits. The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home,” Boesen said.According to the Danish medical team, Eriksen briefly lost consciousness during the incident. Doctors will now carry out further examinations to determine exactly what happened. The pacemaker is also expected to provide useful data for that review.For now, the most important news is that Eriksen is recovering. Any decision about his playing future will likely come after doctors complete their assessment and the midfielder has time to consider his next step.
