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Christian Eriksen scored to help Denmark draw 1-1 with Slovenia at Euro 2024, nearly three years after he suffered a heart attack, and he says all he can think about is football.
Eriksen put Denmark ahead in the first half of their Group C opener in Stuttgart on Sunday, with the Manchester United midfielder scoring his first goal in just his third European Championship appearance.
He played in Euro 2012 and again in the coronavirus-delayed Euro 2020, collapsing in Denmark’s opening 1-0 loss to Finland and being resuscitated on the pitch with the help of a defibrillator.
Eriksson, now 32, says he no longer dwells too much on that fateful day in Copenhagen.
“I do think that my story at the Euros this time is going to be very different to the last time,” he said.
“Luckily, a lot of games have been played since the last time this happened. I feel confident about getting out there again, so in that sense, I’m excited to be back playing.”
Eriksson made his international debut as a teenager ahead of the 2010 World Cup and this was his sixth appearance at a major tournament.
“I did think about not scoring at the Euros but I only thought about football. If we had ended up with the three points it would have been a different story and we would have been happier.”
Denmark will next face England, who knocked Denmark out of the last European Championship in extra time at Wembley Stadium after Eriksson went down.
“It was a wake-up call for us,” Eriksson said of the draw with Slovenia. Denmark will face Serbia in its final group match on June 25.
Denmark coach Kasper Hulmand said his confidence in Eriksen has never wavered.
“I never doubted Christian’s ability as a football player,” he said.
“You can’t suppress that level. He’s a natural player, he knows the tempo of the game. He knows how to play.”
“For me, he is a great player and he showed that today.”
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