Christian Eriksen’s goal was his 38th for DenmarkChristian Eriksen called it a “lovely feeling” as he scored and captained Denmark to a 3-0 win over over Serbia at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium – where he suffered a cardiac arrest last year.
There were emotional scenes on the Brentford midfielder’s return.
“It’s not the final chapter, it’s just the beginning of the football career that continues,” said the 30-year-old.
“It was a bit of a break for a few months, now it’s getting the football back on track.
“It was the first time being captain and walking out here, I’ve been captain before, but not here. To walk out at the national stadium as captain for the first time was special.
“To lead the lads out was very emotional and something I can be proud of. It was a lovely feeling.”
Joakim Maehle and Jesper Lindstrom also scored for Denmark as Eriksen grabbed his country’s third with a fine strike from 22 yards in the 57th minute in the friendly victory.
Danish fans held up a banner before the game that said ‘Welcome back Christian”Welcome back Christian’Eriksen was back at the venue where he nearly lost his life 290 days ago.
In the first half of that match against Finland, and with no players around him, Eriksen collapsed having suffered cardiac arrest.
Team-mates and medics rushed to help him before he was revived and taken to hospital, with Eriksen later saying he had “died for five minutes”.
He was subsequently fitted with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) – a type of pacemaker – so he could continue his career.
However, he had to leave his club Inter Milan as players with an ICD device are not allowed to play in Italy’s Serie A, before the former Tottenham midfielder returned to the Premier League with Brentford.
He came on and scored during Denmark’s 4-2 defeat by Netherlands on Saturday and was greeted by a rousing reception from the Danish fans in Copenhagen on Tuesday with a banner reading ‘Welcome back Christian’.
Eriksen was involved in the build-up to Denmark’s first goal as his left-wing corner was only partially headed clear with Maehle firing low into the net from 25 yards.
Lindstrom added a second when free in the penalty area early in the second half, before Eriksen gave the fans the moment they wanted by scoring a well-taken goal four minutes later.
Eriksen, who could feature for Denmark in the World Cup in Qatar later this year, received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 79th minute.
Christian Eriksen applauded the fans at Parken Stadium before the matchEriksen was named Denmark captain for the gameEriksen scored Denmark’s third goal in the 57th minuteLine-upsDenmarkFormation 4-3-3
1Schmeichel
13Kristensen2Andersen3Vestergaard5Maehle
10Eriksen15Nørgaard23Højbjerg
11Skov Olsen12Dolberg18Lindstrøm
1Schmeichel13Kristensen2AndersenSubstituted forNelssonat 67’minutes3Vestergaard5Maehle10EriksenSubstituted forBillingat 80’minutes15Nørgaard23HøjbjergSubstituted forJensenat 67’minutes11Skov OlsenSubstituted forMaxsøat 80’minutes12DolbergSubstituted forCorneliusat 56’minutes18LindstrømSubstituted forBruun Larsenat 57’minutesSubstitutes4Nelsson6Maxsø7Jensen8Nielsen9Bruun Larsen14Bah16Iversen17Billing19Wind20Pedersen21Cornelius22RønnowSerbiaFormation 3-4-2-1
12Rajkovic
4Milenkovic6Veljkovic2Pavlovic
14Zivkovic16Lukic8Gudelj17Kostic
10Tadic20Milinkovic-Savic
9Mitrovic
12Rajkovic4Milenkovic6VeljkovicSubstituted forNastasicat 45’minutes2PavlovicSubstituted forMitrovicat 73’minutes14ZivkovicSubstituted forRadonjicat 45’minutes16LukicSubstituted forJovicat 45’minutesSubstituted forRacicat 79’minutes8Gudelj17Kostic10Tadic20Milinkovic-Savic9MitrovicSubstituted forGrujicat 62’minutesSubstitutes1Dmitrovic3Mladenovic5Nastasic7Radonjic11Jovic13Mitrovic18Grujic19Ristic21Racic22Terzic23Milinkovic-SavicReferee:Felix Zwayer
Attendance:35,010
Live TextMatch ends, Denmark 3, Serbia 0.
Second Half ends, Denmark 3, Serbia 0.
Attempt missed. Nemanja Radonjic (Serbia) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner, Serbia. Conceded by Jannik Vestergaard.
Attempt missed. Uros Racic (Serbia) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Dusan Tadic.
Corner, Serbia. Conceded by Victor Nelsson.
Corner, Serbia. Conceded by Philip Billing.
Corner, Serbia. Conceded by Rasmus Kristensen.
Corner, Serbia. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
Attempt saved. Filip Kostic (Serbia) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dusan Tadic.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Andreas Cornelius (Denmark).
Attempt missed. Uros Racic (Serbia) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Attempt blocked. Rasmus Kristensen (Denmark) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked.
Corner, Denmark. Conceded by Marko Grujic.
Substitution, Denmark. Philip Billing replaces Christian Eriksen.
Substitution, Denmark. Andreas Maxsø replaces Andreas Skov Olsen.
Attempt missed. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Matija Nastasic with a headed pass following a corner.
Substitution, Serbia. Uros Racic replaces Luka Jovic.
Corner, Serbia. Conceded by Rasmus Kristensen.