Eriksen confirms ICD saved him after second on-pitch collapse in five years

Christian Eriksen has returned home from hospital and confirmed his implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fired correctly after he collapsed on the pitch during Denmark’s friendly against Ukraine, reassuring supporters that the incident was distinct from his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

Eriksen fell to the ground in the 65th minute on Saturday as medical staff rushed to his aid. The match was halted and subsequently abandoned. Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen confirmed on Sunday that the 34-year-old had briefly lost consciousness before being taken to hospital, from which he was discharged the following day.

“I want to let everyone know that I am doing well and that I am home with my family,” Eriksen wrote in a public statement. “As you can probably imagine, receiving a shock from my ICD has had 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.”

An ICD is a small device implanted in the chest that delivers an electric shock to reset the heart if it stops or detects a dangerous abnormality in its rhythm. Eriksen had the device fitted after suffering a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening match at Euro 2020 — played in 2021 — a moment that shocked world football.

“I am feeling good, and my recovery has already started,” he continued. “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.”

Eriksen, who has earned more than 150 caps for Denmark and previously played for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, expressed gratitude to the players and medical staff on the field as well as the doctors who have monitored his heart in the years since his first collapse.