Inter defender Stefan de Vrij ‘thanked Antonio Conte’ and claims Christian Eriksen still ‘needs time.’

The Dutch centre-back spoke to DAZN during Inter’s training retreat.: “We want to confirm ourselves and continue to grow and improve. There is much work to be ready for the first game. I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement. I’m very confident,” the former Lazio star said.

“I am sorry that Antonio Conte left because I worked well with him. I thanked him because he helped me grow and improve, but I am happy Simone Inzaghi arrived. He can create a very nice atmosphere in the dressing room and we will all be united.”

De Vrij revealed he spoke to Christian Eriksen after his teammate had collapsed during Denmark’s debut game against Finland at EURO 2020.

“I spoke to Eriksen when it happened, I’ve been thinking about him for so long. Then I didn’t disturb him anymore because he must be receiving many messages. He needs time to regain fitness.”

The Nerazzurri signed Hakan Calhanoglu as a free agent to temporarily replace Eriksen.

“Calhanoglu is a strong player, he creates many goal-scoring opportunities, he has great technical skills,” De Vrij concluded.