Christian Eriksen speaks out on his shocking collapse as he is discharged from hospital – and says it was ‘very different from 2021’ – as Danish pundit tells him: Retire for your wife’s sake

Christian Eriksen has been discharged from hospital but refuses to decide whether to quit football after his second devastating on-field collapse in five years.

The former Manchester United and Tottenham star clutched his chest and fell to the ground during Denmark’s friendly against Ukraine on Sunday; An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) provided a shock to restore heart rhythm. ICD was founded in 2021 following a heart attack that shocked fans around the world.

But Eriksen says his latest collapse was ‘a different situation’.

In a statement released this afternoon, he said: ‘As you can probably imagine, the shock I received from ICD has had a huge impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this is a different situation to what has happened in 2021. I feel good and my recovery has already begun.

‘As well as being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players on the field and the medical staff, I am also incredibly grateful to the doctors who have cared for me and my heart over the years. Thanks to their expertise, my ICD did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it.

Eriksen, photographed with his wife Sabrina Kvist Jensen, was discharged from the hospital

‘For now my focus is on recovery, spending time with my family, going on holiday and playing football with my kids.’

However, former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder Thomas Gravesen says Eriksen should now retire for the sake of his wife Sabrina Kvist Jensen.

She was on the sidelines during both of her husband’s collapses.

‘This has nothing to do with career anymore. This has to do with life. Gravesen, who currently works as an expert, told Viaplay: This is Christian Eriksen’s life.

‘I saw his wife storm the field once again. What kind of scenario does he put her in? You have to think a little further than the tip of your own nose. ‘When something like this happens, football doesn’t matter.’

Gravesen suggested that if Eriksen decided he wanted to continue playing, the decision should be taken from him and he should be forced to retire.

Cardiologist Henning Molgaard warned that Eriksen could have similar health problems in the future, but argued that the defibrillator saved his life.

The Danish national player said that he was ‘not at all, not the slightest bit afraid’ of collapsing again. He added: ‘Worst-case scenario, if it happens again, this thing will help me right away.’

Molgaard told IT: ‘His pacemaker. He undoubtedly did his job and saved her life.

‘It could definitely happen again. We can see this in many ordinary people who have a small, hidden heart condition, have another heart attack, and then have a pacemaker activated. So whatever is behind the Christian Eriksen case, the same thing could happen again.

‘When you get a shock from a pacemaker, it feels like you’re being kicked by a horse. So you may scream “off” and often you also have some “oxygen debt” to make up for before regaining consciousness. But it’s a good sign that he went to the ambulance himself.

‘The amazing thing isn’t that it happened. It happens to many people. ‘The amazing thing is that this happens on a football field.’

However, Molgaard warns that teams are now unlikely to want Eriksen to play for them. ‘The vast majority of professional clubs will not risk him falling again. “Most of them will probably say, ‘I think you need to find something else,'” he said.

Danish national team doctor Morten Boesen, who is said to have saved Eriksen’s life in 2021, gave new information about the moments immediately following this new collapse.

‘He wanted to go and say hello to his family. And the ambulance was around the corner. “So he was allowed to do that,” Boesen said. ‘Fully monitored.’

Television footage shows Eriksen falling to the ground away from the ball, clutching his chest, midway through the second half of Denmark’s friendly against Ukraine.

Medical teams rushed to the aid of the man, who was clearly protected.

Eriksen has one year left on his two-year contract with German club Wolfsburg, which was relegated from the Bundesliga last month.

In the statement made by the Danish Football Federation after the incident, the following statements were made: ‘Christian Eriksen is conscious and in good condition under the circumstances. ‘The match has been cancelled.’

TV footage shows former Manchester United star grabbing his chest before collapsing

Eriksen is seen collapsing and applauding the crowd ahead of Sunday’s match

The big screen inside the stadium in Odense shared a similar message: ‘Match over. Under the circumstances, Christian Eriksen is in good shape.’

The fans also started chanting and applauding the name of the midfielder who was receiving treatment.

Former Denmark star Nicklas Bendtner was watching the match as a commentator on Danish television and couldn’t hold back his tears as he thought about what to say when the incident happened.

‘These are horrific pictures and they completely overshadow the rest of the evening,’ he said.

‘My thoughts are with the family and children and it is a difficult situation to be in at the moment.

‘This is the second time this has happened and also as Christian’s friend… this is truly awful.’

Many of Eriksen’s Denmark team-mates were understandably distressed and broke down in tears on the pitch.