Christian Eriksen - Denmark's great number 10

When Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch three minutes before half-time in Denmark's Euro 2020 clash against Finland on Saturday, the importance of football was put into perspective.

Thanks to the quick actions of the players, the referee and the medical staff, Eriksen was resuscitated on the pitch and was rushed to hospital. The Danish team doctor later confirmed that he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

The scenes in Copenhagen were distressing but fans and players in the stadium and around the world united to show their support for Eriksen.

With the Danish playmaker now recovering, Planet Sport wanted to show our appreciation by highlighting his fantastic football ability.

Three in a row with Ajax

Eriksen started his professional career at Ajax in 2008, working his way up the youth teams before graduating to the senior side. He made his first-team debut in January 2010 against NEC Breda, but it wasn't until the 2010/11 campaign that he started to shine.

His ability, combined with the strength of Ajax's squad that season, saw them win the Eredivisie for the first time in seven years. Due to his exceptional performances, he was honoured with both the Ajax and the Dutch Football Talent of the Year awards.

In October 2011, he was also awarded the Danish Football Player of the Year award for his part in helping Ajax to the Eredivisie title and for playing a pivotal role in Denmark's successful qualifying campaign for Euro 2012.

The 2011/12 season saw him elevate his play once more and he scored his first Champions League goal against Dinamo Zagreb in the group stage. His seven goals and 19 assists also helped Ajax successfully defend their Eredivisie title.

The 2012/13 season proved to be his last in Amsterdam as his contract was up at the end of the season and he opted not to renew it. Despite this potential distraction, his strong contribution helped Ajax to a three-peat of league titles and he left having scored 32 goals in 162 appearances in all competitions.

Firsts with Spurs

Eriksen was confirmed as a Spurs player on August 30, 2013, joining for an estimated fee of £11million.

He made his league debut on September 14 against Norwich City and instantly made his presence felt by setting up a goal for Gylfi Sigurdsson in a 2-0 win.

His first goal for Spurs came just five days later in a Europa League group stage match against Tromso IL. This spectacular dipping shot gave fans an insight into what their new man was all about; a maestro at creating but with the ability to score too.

His first league goal came on Boxing Day against West Brom - a free-kick, which was soon to become his specialism.

By the end of the season, he had racked up 10 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. For his contributions to both Spurs and Denmark, he won the Danish Football Player of the Year for a second time and was awarded Tottenham's Player of the Year too.

Elevating Spurs to new heights

By 2015, Eriksen had proven himself as a real asset in the Spurs team and was making his mark on the international scene too, having won three consecutive Danish Football Player of the Year awards.

He was an influential figure in Spurs' rise up the league table, with a third-place finish in the 2015/16 campaign meaning they qualified for the following season's Champions League.

Ahead of the 2016/17 season, Eriksen signed a new long-term deal to stay in North London. Aided by his eight goals, Spurs finished second in the Premier League that campaign, beaten only by Manchester City. Eriksen's total of 15 assists was the second-highest in the league, beaten only by City's Kevin De Bruyne.

The 2017/18 season saw Eriksen hit a number of big milestones with the club.

On September 23, 2017, Eriksen set a new record for most goals scored in the Premier League by a Danish player, surpassing Nicklas Bendtner when scoring his 33rd goal.

One month later, he scored his 50th goal for the club after netting in just 11 seconds against Manchester United. This was the third-quickest goal ever scored in the Premier League.

Eriksen's 2017/18 season can essentially be summed up by his spectacular goal against Chelsea on April 1, which helped Spurs to their first win at Stamford Bridge in 28 years. He has since admitted that he considers this the best goal he scored during his time at Tottenham.

Spurs once again finished in third place that campaign, with Eriksen picking up Tottenham's Player of the Season award for the second time. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time.

Moving to Italy

The 2018/19 season saw Eriksen become only the second player in history to record 10 or more assists in four consecutive Premier League seasons, the first being David Beckham.

Spurs also had a fantastic Champions League run, making it all the way to the final in Madrid. Unfortunately, they came up against a very strong Liverpool outfit and lost the game 1-0.

The 2019/20 season was the last year on his Spurs contract and while he was still committed to the team, he was actively looking for a move elsewhere.

On January 28, 2020, with six months remaining on his contract, Eriksen signed for Inter Milan for £17million on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

His first league title since his Ajax days came in the 2020/21 season, as Inter won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years.

Denmark's star man

Eriksen made his international debut in February 2010, becoming the fourth youngest Danish debutant of all time and the youngest since Michael Laudrup. Since then, he has become a vital part of his national side.

He was announced as part of the 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup, making him the youngest player at the tournament at the age of 18.

On June 4, 2011, Eriksen became the youngest Danish player ever to score in European qualification, beating Laudrup's record by nine days. This was his first goal for the national team.

His role during their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign was huge as he scored eight goals, leading his team to a play-off against the Republic of Ireland. The Danes drew the home game 0-0 but they won 5-1 in Dublin, with an Eriksen hat-trick securing their place in Russia.

Denmark had a fairly successful competition, making it out of the group stage to the Round-of-16, where they lost to eventual finalists Croatia. Eriksen was one of three players who had their penalties saved in the shoot-out defeat.