No England star will have felt more shocked than pal Harry
THE news that Christian Eriksen was fighting for his life on the pitch last night left every England player in shock – but for Harry Kane the horror would have been even more profound.
Not only are the pair great friends, but it was Eriksen who provided the cross that enabled the England captain to score his first Premier League goal for Tottenham in April 2014.
Kane was preparing to face the media alongside Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate, ahead of the Euro opener against Croatia today, when his former Spurs team-mate collapsed during Denmark’s clash with Finland in Copenhagen.
The rest of England’s contingent were in transit to their overnight hotel in north London as the drama unfolded.
The football world held its collective breath as medics treated the 29-year-old midfielder for several agonising minutes while fans in the Parken Stadium prayed.
Kane’s thoughts would have been with Eriksen – and he would have been delighted to hear his friend had been revived before being transferred to hospital.
The FA cancelled all official media engagements as a mark of respect to the Dane. UEFA agreed to their request immediately – leaving Kane and the rest of Southgate’s squad to reflect on how close the delayed tournament came to being marred by tragedy.
Southgate said: “We are encouraged by the update from the
Danish FA this evening.
“On behalf of the
FA, our players and staff, we send our very best wishes to Christian and those close to him.
“We pay tribute to those who went to his aid with such care to give the support he received.
“Our thoughts remain with Christian and his family tonight.”
England’s game with Croatia at Wembley this afternoon will go ahead as planned. Eriksen, who left Tottenham to join Inter Milan in January 2020, contributed heavily to Kane’s productivity in front of goal for six years.
But his first – a close-range strike in a 5-1 victory over Sunderland – is one he will cherish forever. Eriksen’s inswinging cross from the left was perfect and Kane stabbed the ball past Black Cats keeper Vito Mannone.
It was the first of 23 assists the Dane provided for the striker. And while the pair became a devastating duo on the pitch, off it they struck up a close relationship. In 2015, Kane said: “We play very well together. We have an understanding around the 18-yard box about the movements we are going to make.
“We get on really well off the pitch, too. The more chances he makes for me, the better!”
After the good news from Copenhagen that Eriksen had been stabilised, Southgate will be hoping Kane and this squad can put it behind them when they face the nation that beat them in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.
Kane was a youngster coming through the ranks at Spurs when Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba (inset, on the pitch and below that, afterwards), had a brush with death after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during an FA Cup tie.
Kyle Walker, expected to start the game at right-back today, was in Spurs’ team that night.
So were Croatia captain Luka Modric and Wales’ Gareth Bale.
Muamba’s heart stopped for 78 minutes, despite receiving several defibrillator shocks on pitch and in the ambulance to the specialist coronary care unit at the London Chest Hospital.
Doctors were astonished by the speed of his recovery
Muamba, who had to retire from the game, was watching on TV when Eriksen was fighting for his life.
He tweeted “Please God” as medics were treating the Danish midfielder.