Christian Eriksen prepares for 'special' return to Parken Stadium

Danish playmaker had collapsed at the Copenhagen venue during the Euros and will play Serbia in a friendly on Tuesday

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Christian Eriksen is set to make an emotional return to Copenhagen's Parken Stadium on Tuesday for Denmark's international friendly against Serbia.

The 30-year-old playmaker collapsed on the pitch and received life-saving treatment during Denmark's match with Finland in during the Euros in June last year and was later told he was “gone from this world for five minutes”.

Eriksen has resumed his professional career at Brentford in the Premier League after being fitted with an implantable defibrillator and even scored on his comeback for Denmark on Saturday after entering as a half-time substitute against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

"I think it's something you can't prepare for," Eriksen said on Monday. "The reception in Holland was very big and my expectation is it is going to be even bigger here. This is the place where it happened and people will see it.

"Afterwards people will be talking about it, like everything is back to normal. They are going to have a new memory. It's going to be special and I'm looking forward to it."

Eriksen will captain Denmark in the friendly on Tuesday. Kasper Schmeichel, who has been the stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Simon Kjaer, made the suggestion to hand the armband to Eriksen, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said.

Hjulmand, who said Eriksen would be in the starting line-up on Tuesday, said he had been amazed by his progress.

"I didn't expect that he could be so good so quickly," Hjulmand said.

"He was running without any difficulty and he brought rhythm to the game. He was very calm. I really appreciate seeing him play."

Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapses on the pitch during Euro 2020

Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapses on the pitch during Euro 2020
Updated: March 29, 2022, 4:58 AM