CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

I am writing this on Saturday night, as the news of Christian Eriksen's collapse on the pitch appears over the airwaves. The match referee is Englishman, Anthony Taylor, a truly difficult game for him. It's a dreadful experience for all the players, their families, coaching staff, crowd, fans, stadium workers, media and the rest.

Christian Eriksen, 29, played for Spurs, so I have a particular interest in his welfare. He was a very good, modest footballer, who could control a game (playing over 220 games and scoring 51 goals) He ewas a creator rather than "notcher"!! Today (Saturday) he collapsed on the pitch in Denmark's Euro 2020 Cup match against Finland in the Parken Stadium, Copenhagen. The whole event was on television, quickly concealed and Eriksen was treated on pitch, given CPR, covered by a medical tent and then given the necessary treatment who bring him back to stability. He is conscious and talking. The latest news is that he is in a "good place". The Denmark tie is continuing, you will know the outcome by now. 

Petr Cech: The risk of head injury is another pitfall that footballers face each time they step on the field, with freak accidents like that one Petr Cech suffered while playing for Chelsea against Reading capable of causing serious injury. On that occasion, the keeper escaped with a fractured skull, but the incident could have been even more significant after doctors revealed that it had nearly cost him his life

Another player who was close to losing his life during a top-level match in England was Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed in an FA Cup fixture against Tottenham in March 2012. The former England Under-21 international suffered a cardiac arrest and his heart stopped for 78 minutes. Following medical advice, he quit the game.

Cheick Tiote (June 21, 1986 – June 5, 2017) Just a couple of weeks before his 31st birthday, Tiote, who had only recently moved to Beijing Enterprises from Newcastle, collapsed during a training session having suffered a cardiac arrest. He was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead an hour later. Once his body was returned to his homeland of Ivory Coast, he was given a military funeral, having been one of the top players in the nation, turning out 55 times for the Elephants and helping them to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.

Phil O’Donnell (March 25, 1972 – December 29, 2007) A legend at Motherwell, O’Donnell, a once-capped Scotland international who scored in the club's famous 4-3 Scottish Cup final win over St Mirren in 1991, was playing for his hometown side against Dundee United in a Scottish Premier League match when he collapsed just as he was about to be substituted. After being treated on the pitch for five minutes, he was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. A later examination showed that he had died of left ventricular failure. He has had a stand at Motherwell’s Fir Park ground named after him, while David Clarkson, his nephew, is the only player to have subsequently worn the No.10 shirt.

Marc-Vivien Foe (May 1, 1975 – June 26, 2003) The footballing world was left shocked by his death, a player who had been a top player in Ligue1 with Lens and Lyon, while also a Premier League regular with West Ham and Manchester City, with whom he had been on loan in the months before his passing. Playing in the Confederations Cup semi-final for Cameroon against Colombia, he collapsed in the 72nd minute with no-one near him. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he died in the medical centre of Lyon’s Stade Gerland. An autopsy showed evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary condition that increases the risk of death during exertion.

The latest news is that Christian is in recovery.