Christian Eriksen issues first statement since collapsing on pitch for second time

Christian Eriksen says he is 'doing well' and has returned home from hospital after collapsing during Denmark’s friendly against Ukraine.

Eriksen, 34, collapsed in the 65th minute of Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine in Odense on Sunday (June 7).

The match was halted before being abandoned, with Denmark leading 2-1 despite Eriksen regaining consciousness and walking off the field.

The former Manchester United, Brentford and Spurs midfielder was subsequently taken to hospital before an update emerged from the team’s doctor, Morten Boesen, who said the 34-year-old was in a stable condition via social media.

"I spoke with Christian this morning and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits," he said.

"The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.

"We are taking good care of the players and staff and remain in regular contact with them."

The post was later reposted to Eriksen’s Instagram Story.

READ MORE: Denmark manager Brian Riemer breaks silence on Christian Eriksen collapse

This was the second incident of a similar nature involving Eriksen, with the Dane previously suffering a cardiac arrest during a match against Finland at Euro 2020, which was played in 2021. He later had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) fitted, allowing him to resume playing professional football before joining Brentford in 2022.

Now, the former Manchester United midfielder has released a statement on his official Instagram page.

He has confirmed that the incident was 'a different situation from what happened in 2021', explaining that it was caused by a 'shock' from his ICD.

"I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family," he wrote.

"As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has a major impact on both me and my family, but I want to reassure everyone that this was a different situation from what happened in 2021.

"I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started.

"In addition to being grateful for the support and assistance of all the players and the medical team on the field, 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.

"For now, my focus is on recovering, spending time with my family, going on vacation, and playing football with my children."

He ended the statement with a love-heart emoji.

Medical expert speaks out on Eriksen collapse

Shortly after the incident, cardiology expert Sadi Raza explained what may have happened via X.

He wrote: “Good chance what happened today was his defibrillator (ICD) shocking him which is why his initial reaction is like being hit by a baseball bat to the chest. Remains to be seen whether he was shocked because his ICD detected a real arrhythmia or artifact. He will undergo a full evaluation but most immediately his ICD will be interrogated (which can be done immediately) to determine what exactly happened. Too soon to speculate what this means for his career."