Christian Eriksen’s return to football has been one of the good stories of the season and he was once again the subject of great excitement on Saturday when he faced his former club Tottenham for the first time.
The 30-year-old, who spent six and a half years at the north London club and helped them reach the Champions League final in 2019, received an enthusiastic reception from all four sides of the pitch before, during and after. . the game at the Brentford Community Stadium.
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Before kick-off, he hugged some of his former teammates in the tunnel, including forward Harry Kane and defender Eric Dier.
When he went to take an early corner from Brentford in front of the visiting fans, there were no boos or whistles, just cheers, applause and a standing ovation.
At full time there were more hugs, this time from Lucas Moura, Son Heung-min and Davinson Sanchez.
Eriksen took the time to sign a Tottenham fan’s shirt that had his name on the back, before receiving more applause from the home fans as he headed down the tunnel.
“It’s emotional to play against him. It’s strange to play against him,” Dier told Sky Sports. “I have spent most of my professional career playing with him. I never imagined playing against him in these circumstances.
“I don’t care if he plays against us, I’m just happy that he’s healthy. I am very happy for him and his family.”
Eriksen did not always agree with Antonio Conte during their time together at Inter Milan, but the Spurs manager was effusive in his praise for the midfielder, who went into cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 just 10 months ago.
“I have seen Christian in fantastic form. We are talking about a really good player, of great quality,” Conte told BBC Match of the Day.
“I’m glad to see him, especially after what happened. [at the Euros]. Brentford gave him the opportunity to play again and that is why Brentford deserves to enjoy these types of games with him”.
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