Christian Eriksen admits he ‘wanted to remain with Inter and was sad that it was not possible’ due to the Italian rules on playing with an implanted defibrillator, so he returned to the Premier League.
The Denmark international collapsed during their opening EURO 2020 fixture last year and had to be revived on the pitch by medical staff after his heart had stopped.
He was then taken to hospital and given an implanted defibrillator, but this immediately ruled Eriksen out of continuing his career with Inter.
There are very strict Italian rules on fitness tests before a professional athlete is allowed to participate in sport.
“I loved my time in Italy and would’ve liked to have stayed,” confessed Eriksen in today’s press conference ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
“My objective was to return to Italy, so I was sad that it was not possible. Inter are good club and I was disappointed to leave, but this is football.”
Inter terminated the contract by mutual consent so that Eriksen could resume his career elsewhere, which he did at Brentford and then Manchester United.
Now he is back in a major international tournament for the first time since that collapse.
“I think it gave me… let’s say the appreciation of being alive and being with my family. And I think everything else is just moved to the side. To have the possibility to go back and be who I was before was really the aim. My first aim was always to be a boyfriend and a dad,” continued Eriksen.
“From the first interview I did from when I came back, I said I wanted to be back playing. That was the aim from day one when I had the possibility to go back. So really the focus had changed a lot on the way to the World Cup.”