The man who knows no fear: Eriksen refuses to give up on football

The man whose well-being the football world has prayed for more than anyone else's over the past five years, and whose health had the fans around the world holding their breath, is definitely Christian Eriksen.

The Dane suffered a cardiac arrest at the European Championship in June 2021 during the match against Finland, while his heart stopped for several minutes on the pitch. Still, despite the expectations, he didn't give up on his playing career.

Eriksen collapses on the pitch! Thank God, he's alive and stable

He couldn't continue his spell with Inter Milan due to Italian law, but played for Brentford, Manchester United, and Wolfsburg following the incident, all thanks to the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), whose task is to detect dangerous heart rhythms and restore a normal heartbeat, and which recently saved his life.

A month ago, during Denmark's friendly game against Ukraine, Eriksen collapsed again, sending shockwaves through the football world. The ICD kept him alive.

Tearful scenes as Eriksen collapses again

After the second incident, many expected him to finally call it quits, but that is not the case, as the midfielder has no intention of hanging up his boots!

"Christian Eriksen will soon begin an individual rehabilitation program. Following a discussion with VfL Wolfsburg managing director Dieter Hecking, it was decided that the 34-year-old will complete this in his native Denmark."

"VfL is in regular contact with Christian and his doctors. We wish Christian all the best for his continued rehabilitation," the official statement of his current club, Wolfsburg, said.

Therefore, the 34-year-old plans to return to football, despite repeated warnings from medical experts.

The latest one came from Henning Molgaard, a former senior cardiologist and one of Denmark's leading specialists in heart medicine, who recommended that his compatriot step away from football.

"Most elite athletes choose to retire after having an ICD implanted. We saw this with Stale Solbakken (current Norwegian national team coach). As cardiologists, we are not lawmakers, but our clear recommendation - also in light of European and American studies - is that competing in elite sports with an ICD is highly unusual", Molgaard told Bold.dk via Flashscore.

Moreover, the cardiologist made a chilling prediction and issued a grim warning for Eriksen.

"We know he (Eriksen) will collapse again at some point. But we simply cannot say with certainty whether the ICD device will be needed to restart his heart in three months, or in three, four, five, or ten years. However, it is going to happen again."

Sometimes the heart wants what it wants, no matter how dire the consequences may be. In the end, all we can do is hope Eriksen's health holds up until the day he finally decides to retire.