Harder and Denmark team-mates thrilled for Eriksen ahead of expected Man Utd move

By Sports Desk July 05, 2022

Denmark star Pernille Harder is "so happy" that Christian Eriksen is back playing football, and is hoping the playmaker will join Manchester United.

Eriksen collapsed on the pitch while playing for Denmark in Euro 2020 last June, suffering cardiac arrest.

The former Tottenham midfielder recovered and was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, but that prevented him from playing in Italy for his club Inter.

Eriksen was subsequently released and did not find a new club until January, when Brentford offered him the chance to show his quality and prove his fitness.

He managed to do just that, making a huge impact by scoring once and assisting four more goals in 11 league appearances to help Brentford, who had been out of form prior to his arrival, stay up with ease.

To highlight Eriksen's importance, he created 30 chances following his Bees bow in March, with only Martin Odegaard (38) and Kevin De Bruyne (42) topping that in the division.

However, the 30-year-old only signed a short-term contract and is now expected to join United, to the delight of Harder, who is preparing for the Women's Euro 2022 with Denmark.

She told Stats Perform: "It's amazing, I'm so happy that he’s back and that he's playing really good football as well.

"It seems like he's enjoying playing, if he's going to Manchester United I will be happy as a United fan but also for him.

"I don't know if it's just rumours or if it's actually happening."

Harder's sentiments were echoed by her Denmark team-mates Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen and Signe Bruun.

Nielsen said: "So happy, we just enjoy following Christian Eriksen, of course Manchester United is a big club and it's huge in Denmark as well."

Bruun added: "It was so sad last year, him going down at home in our national stadium but to see him coming back like that and performing like that for the national team and Brentford as well is great.

"We all supported him, we were all behind him and for him now to make a big move like that, I think he deserves it, he's a hard worker, so I'm very, very happy to see that."

Related items

  • Man Utd cannot afford to get complacent – Ten Hag Man Utd cannot afford to get complacent – Ten Hag

    Erik ten Hag urged his players not to get complacent against a Burnley side who are still fighting for their place in the Premier League.

    After a run of four games without a win in the top-flight, Manchester United came from behind with late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund to beat bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United on Wednesday.

    The Red Devils sit in sixth place on 53 points, three more than Newcastle United below them, but have not yet secured a place in Europe next season.

    When asked what kind of challenge Burnley would pose, Ten Hag was full of praise for the way Vincent Kompany has set up his team.

    “They play high-intensity football. They have changed their approach slightly in the season. They have had good results and are hard to beat, and all the compliments to Vincent and his staff.

    “We can’t afford to think [it’s only X] about any opponent. With the team we have available, we have to be creative. We have to take every opponent with 100% focus. We can’t allow and do a little bit less.”

    Burnley’s survival hopes were given a huge boost last weekend with an impressive 4-1 win against Sheffield United, leaving them just three points behind Nottingham Forest in 17th.

    With just four games left of the season, Kompany highlighted the characteristics have kept the Clarets within touching distance of the teams around them.

    He said: “The biggest thing is consistency, hard work and making sure to not get distracted by the outside noise has been the main factor. We haven't found the recipe for Champions League football yet, but we are improving every game.

    "I know we still have a chance and that's all that matters to me, whether it's two teams, three teams or four teams still in it, it doesn't matter too much to me.”

  • Foden: De Bruyne the best in the Premier League Foden: De Bruyne the best in the Premier League

    Phil Foden hailed Manchester City team-mate Kevin De Bruyne as the Premier League's best player after the pair both netted in the 4-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

    De Bruyne opened the scoring in Thursday's contest at Amex Stadium before Foden took over with a couple of goals of his own before half-time.

    Julian Alvarez rounded off the scoring just after the hour in a one-sided contest as an Erling Haaland-less City moved to within a point of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

    Belgium international De Bruyne now has four goals and six assists in just 13 league appearances for City this season.

    Speaking to Sky Sports News after the win over Brighton, Foden said: "I think when he is at it, he is the best player in the Premier League."

    Foden's first goal came via a deflected free-kick that he himself won, although replays showed he slipped rather than being fouled.

    The England international doubled his personal tally with a composed finish after Brighton were caught in possession at the back.

    Asked about playing more centrally, Foden said: "I have always said that I see myself there. This year I have moved inside and it has helped me massively. 

    "I enjoy it in the middle. It's where I want to be. At the moment, I am just enjoying my football and playing with freedom."

    De Bruyne had earlier opened the scoring with a brilliant opener - his first headed goal for City in the Premier League - as City made it 30 games unbeaten in normal time across all competitions.

    Alvarez then went on to round off the scoring in a game that not only saw the reigning champions close the gap on Arsenal, but also narrow the goal difference margin to eight.

    "It was a good game," De Bruyne said. "I think we played really good in the first half and every game is a lot of pressure. All we can do is prepare as we did today and win the game that is in front of us.

    "We just want to win game-by-game and push for the title. We don't get ahead of ourselves. Now the next game is coming quickly. Try to recover and we go again."

    Kyle Walker assisted the De Bruyne and Alvarez goals - the first time the defender has set up two goals in a single Premier League game in what was his 390th appearance in the competition.

    Reflecting on his rare headed goal, De Bruyne said: "It doesn't happen too much. Kyle gave a good cross and I think the only way I could reach it is by jumping to it. I will take it but it's not something I am good at."

    City have rather ominously won four Premier League games in a row and travel to strugglers Nottingham Forest next up at the weekend, knowing victory in their remaining five games will secure an unprecedented fourth straight title.

    "I trust my team. All respect to Liverpool and Arsenal, they are amazing," De Bruyne added. "Arsenal are doing what they need to do and we are also needing to do it. Work hard and be humble enough to keep pushing."

  • Man Utd matchwinner Fernandes: Criticism part of the job Man Utd matchwinner Fernandes: Criticism part of the job

    Bruno Fernandes said Manchester United's players cannot afford to get annoyed by outside criticism, after he scored twice to fire the Red Devils to a much-needed win over Sheffield United.

    Erik ten Hag's team were roundly criticised for their performance in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City, as they surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 before inching through in a penalty shoot-out.

    They had also gone four Premier League games without a win (three draws, one defeat) prior to Wednesday's meeting with the rock-bottom Blades, with their hopes of Champions League football all-but over.

    They twice trailed as Sheffield United threatened a huge upset, but Fernandes scored twice and supplied an assist as they fought back to claim a 4-2 win.

    Asked whether the noise around Sunday's semi-final win had affected the mood at Old Trafford, Fernandes told Sky Sports: "That's part of the job. 

    "You can be in a run of games where you win eight or nine in a row, and when you lose one you know you'll be criticised. 

    "Being at Manchester United demands winning every game, so it's part of the job. If there is anyone in the dressing room still not used to that, they will get used to it!

    "Being a Manchester United player demands being ready to receive as much criticism as praise. We receive praise when we do good things so we can't be annoyed by the criticism.

    "When people want to do that, they might have a point. We can think in a different way, but we have to take it in the same way as we take the credit they give us."

    Ten Hag's team did look disjointed for long periods on Wednesday, though, and they have now conceded 50 Premier League goals this season.

    The Red Devils have now shipped a half-century of goals in two of their last three Premier League campaigns, having done so just once in their previous 29.

    Ten Hag, though, was content with most aspects of their performance, saying: "It was a good game for the crowd, they saw four goals and many chances that we created.

    "I think we played quite well, we created many more chances, so there's many positives. But also negatives. Conceding two goals from giveaways, that's unacceptable.

    "We want to play dynamic, attacking football. That is what we want to see. Since the winter we have created lots of chances and also scored a lot of those chances."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.