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Why Brentford signing Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen was a great idea

Christian Eriksen has arrived at Brentford having agreed a short-term deal. Matt Whiley looks at why the move is a win-win for both the club and the player.

It was the moment of the summer that shocked a continent. When Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch shortly before half-time of his nation's Euro 2020 clash with Finland in Copenhagen, millions watched on in horror.
Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest, a medical event that has a survival rate of less than 12 per cent. Yet, thanks in no small part to, among others, Danish captain Simon Kjaer plus doctors (and brothers) Morten and Anders Boesen, he survived.

Now, at the age of 29, he's back in football. He had his contract cancelled by Inter Milan after Serie A rules prohibited him from playing with a defibrillator, leaving him a free agent.  Step forward newly-promoted Brentford who have offered him a contract until the end of the season.

Was this a good move by Brentford? Yes, it absolutely was. Planet Sport brings you three reasons why.

The experts will take care of the risk

Following his collapse last summer, Eriksen has been fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which is a small device that sends electrical pulses to regulate abnormal heart rhythms. It detects the heartbeat of the person to whom it is fitted, and if it picks up on an irregular rhythm, it is capable of either pacing - electrical impulses to slow a fast heartbeat down - and cardioversion or defibrillation - electric shocks to restore the beat.

These are common devices, fitting under the skin in the chest of the wearer, and they help to allow sufferers of irregular heart rhythms to lead relatively normal lives. Eriksen will undergo not just the full medical that all new signings must complete, but he would also need to be signed off by a club-assigned sports cardiologist before being registered to play in the Premier League.
That club-appointed cardiologist will be a member of the FA's Cardiac Consensus Panel, which is chaired by Dr Sanjay Sharma, who, in a pleasant twist of fate for Eriksen, knows him well, as he was the Dane's former doctor at Tottenham. If he passes the tests, that's a lot of very clever and very experienced people giving their approval.

He will fit in with plenty of other Danes

At Brentford, Eriksen is joining a squad that contains no fewer than eight of his compatriots, with two more found on the coaching staff in the shape of manager Thomas Frank and his assistant Brian Riemer. Although Eriksen has previously demonstrated his fluency in English, the benefit to both him and the Bees of having a large Danish contingent already at the club is clear to see.

Indeed, he already has experience of being coached by Frank too, from when both were with the Denmark under-17 side. What's more, besides the language, his fellow Danes will have experienced a similar footballing upbringing, and given that Eriksen is arriving in the middle of the season, with little time to adapt, having a squad with familiarity will be of a great help all round.

He has top-drawer Premier League experience

Eriksen is of course best known to English fans for his seven seasons at Tottenham Hotspur. During his time there, he was top of the Premier League rankings for assists (62), chances created (571), goals from outside the box (23), and goals from direct free-kicks (eight). He was also 15th in the league's goalscoring charts, with 51, which is some feat considering he isn't even a striker.
With the brilliance he possesses, and which is proven in English football, it's not difficult to see why Brentford are looking to bring him back to London. It would take great mental strength, but if he can put his medical issues behind him and rediscover his Tottenham form, he would be an absolute steal.

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