If there were football leaders around Europe and doubted Christian Eriksen’s football qualities after the collapse in the Park nine months ago, they can just watch the second half from Johan Cruijff Arena on Saturday night.
Then they were confirmed that the Dane is not far from the top level we know.
In the half he got on the field against Holland, the 30-year-old creator really stepped onto the big stage again. By far the best, the wisest and the most elegant.
Christian Eriksen is not just back. He is a big player and again looks like the player who burned the courts before he fell over.
But he is also in a situation where he is playing for his future as a professional in the coming months.
The career is at stake for Eriksen, who has two months to show himself on the big football scene. Two months to convince the entire football world that he still has a lot to offer on the top shelf.
So far, doubts have been raised directly in the ground with the performance for Brentford and in the half he got against the Netherlands.
The agreement with Brentford is short-lived and without clauses for extension for both parties.
This was also confirmed by Brentford’s Danish coach, Thomas Frank, when he was presented at the club on 11 February.
– It’s a deal this summer. What happens from there and what we’ve talked about is a little irrelevant. The most important thing is that Christian finds a place where he can play football and enjoys going to work every day, as Thomas Frank put it.
That leaves Christian Eriksen as a free man when the season ends on May 22 with the home game against Leeds.
– Brentford was just right for me when I had to start again.
– What happens after the season, I do not think about now. My only focus is to play football, said Christian Eriksen in the national team camp on Thursday in Marbella.
Christian Eriksen has for many years played either the Champions League or the Europa League for the clubs he has played for. But he will not do so if his career is to continue under Thomas Frank in Brentford.
1: Brentford
If Eriksen joins the Danish colony, the club with a state guarantee is ready to extend. But is the level high enough in the small London club?
2: West Ham
A step up for Eriksen if he wants to stay in London. West Ham have impressed under Moyes, but is the address big enough if the club does not come to Europe?
3: Newcastle
Newcastle will not come to Europe, but the club in the North East of England has magically become the richest in the world. Here Eriksen can get a high salary and a team that is built around him.
4: Tottenham
Eriksen knows Tottenham inside out after six and a half years at the London club. It will make good sense to return to Tottenham and Conte. A big club in London that plays in Europe.
5: Manchester United
Something must happen in the ailing big club, and if Eriksen continues his progress, then the Dane may be the man who lifts United’s uninspiring midfield.
6: FC Barcelona
Eriksen and Barcelona have been linked together several times, and that will make good sense this summer. Even though the Catalans have come to money again, a transfer-free Eriksen will decorate the team card.
– I had a few other options in January, but am glad I chose Brentford. It suits me really well here and now, he added.
National coach Kasper Hjulmand is of the opinion that it will only get even better with Christian Eriksen in the future.
– Honestly, I did not expect at all that he could be so good again so quickly. He plays with a great calm and relaxation in his game.
– I not only enjoyed watching his scoring against Holland, but just as much the rhythmic way in which he performs, says Kasper Hjulmand, who on Sunday had had the opportunity to revisit the 2-4 defeat from the night before.
The national coach has already decided that Christian Eriksen will play from the start in the Park against Serbia on Tuesday. Whether he becomes captain, the national coach will not reveal at this time.
It will be the first time Christian Eriksen returns to the Park since he fell over on June 12 and was dead for a few minutes. It will be emotionally charged Tuesday night in the Park.
Get the story of what it took to get Christian Eriksen back in national team form here.