Milan defender Simon Kjaer said the ‘shock’ from when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest against Finland in the Euro 2020 opener ‘will be part of me forever’.
The Denmark captain was praised for his decisive actions in the heat of the moment, when the Inter playmaker collapsed in the final minutes of the first half on Saturday.
Kjaer admitted it has been ‘difficult times’ for the Danes but is ‘proud’ of how his teammates ‘acted and stood together’.
“It has been some very special days, where football has not been the most important thing,” Kjaer said in a statement.
“A shock, that will be part of me – part of all of us – forever! The only thing that is important and really matters, is that Christian is OK!
“I’m proud of how we acted as a team and how we stood together in these difficult times. I’m touched and very grateful for all the support.”
Today, he prepares to face Belgium in the second game of Group B and Kjaer said they will ‘play for Christian and all of Denmark’.
“Today, we will enter the pitch against Belgium with Christian in our hearts and thoughts,” Kjaer said. “It gives us peace in our minds, which allows us to focus on the game of football.
“We will play for Christian, and as always for all of Denmark. That is the greatest motivation for us all.
“As always: we will do our best!”
And in English: My words.#ForDanmark🇩🇰 pic.twitter.com/EwXIXOU7Eq
— Simon Kjær (@simonkjaer1989) June 17, 2021