Brentford sign former Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen

 

Christian Eriksen has returned to the Premier League after signing a six-month deal with Brentford, just seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Eriksen left Inter Milan in December by mutual consent after being suspended by the Italian medical authority from playing in Serie A due to a rule prohibiting the use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device he has had fitted.

The 29-year-old was implanted with the ICD after he suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland in Copenhagen. But has completed all the necessary medical checks and is fit to return to football.

In a statement on Monday, Brentford announced that Eriksen signed a contract until the end of the 2021-22 campaign. 

Manager Thomas Frank said: “I am looking forward to working with Christian again. It has been a while since I last coached him, and a lot has happened since then. Christian was 16 at the time and has become one of the best midfield players to appear in the Premier League. He has also won trophies all over Europe and become the star of the Danish national team.

“We have taken an unbelievable opportunity to bring a World Class player to Brentford. He hasn’t trained with a team for seven months but has done a lot of work on his own. He is fit but we will need to get him match fit and I am looking forward to seeing him work with the players and staff to get back towards his highest level.”

It is not illegal in the UK for Eriksen to play with an ICD and he will become the first-ever to play with one in the Premier League.