February 15 – Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen marked his 30th birthday with a first appearance since his cardiac arrest at last summer’s Euros, playing 60 minutes for his new club Brentford in behind-closed-doors friendly against fifth-tier club Southend United.
It was a landmark occasion for Eriksen, who joined the Premier League side as a free agent in January nearly eight months after his collapse against Finland in June.
His former club Inter Milan ended his contract in December as he is not allowed to play in Serie A due to having a defibrillator fitted.
“A cold, damp afternoon in West London was lit up by Eriksen’s return to a match environment for the first time since suffering a cardiac arrest last June,” Brentford said on their website.
Eriksen is understood to be targeting Brentford’s home game against Newcastle on February 26 for his first competitive return.
He told Sky last week his debut “won’t be far off” after a positive first week of training with his new team-mates, having signed a six-month contract in January.
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