Christian Eriksen
Christian Dannemann Eriksen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈkʰʁestjæn ˈe̝ːʁeksn̩]; born 14 February 1992) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Denmark national team. Eriksen is also capable of playing as a central midfielder or mezzaluna in a 4–3–3 system.
Eriksen started his career at Dutch side Ajax, where he won the Eredivisie in 2010–11, 2011–12, and in 2012–13 and established himself to comparisons with Michael Laudrup for his traditional "number 10" role. In 2014, Eriksen joined Tottenham and was named the club's Player of the Year in his debut season. During his seven years at the club, he was also named the club's Player of the Year in the 2016–17 season and was included in the 2017–18 PFA Team of the Year. In the 2018–19 season, Eriksen became only the second player after David Beckham to record 10+ assists in four successive Premier League seasons and was a key member of the side that reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final. In January 2020, he signed for Inter Milan.
Eriksen made his debut for Denmark in March 2010 and was the youngest player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the build-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Eriksen played a key role during the nation's qualification campaign. Denmark reached the Round of 16, where they were defeated by Croatia after a penalty shoot-out. Eriksen has been named the Danish Football Player of the Year four times, a national record he shares with Brian Laudrup.
Club career
Early career in Middelfart and Odense
Born in Middelfart, Denmark, Eriksen followed in his father Thomas' footsteps when he started playing football in the academy of local side, Middelfart G&BK. Eriksen's father was also one of the coaches at the time and in 2004 they helped the youth side finish unbeaten in the local youth championship for the third time in a period of four years. The following year, he joined Odense Boldklub who competed in the Danish youth championships and within a year had helped the club to an age-group title. It was at OB that Eriksen first began showing signs of his technical ability, with his dribbling and free-kick techniques lauded by then-coach, Tonny Hermansen. His form at youth level attracted the attention of a number of major European clubs, including the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona. Eriksen ultimately underwent trials with both clubs as well as Real Madrid, Manchester United and Milan, but finally decided to move to Ajax, stating, "My first step should not be too big. I knew that playing in the Netherlands would be very good for my development. Then Ajax arrived and that was a fantastic option."
Ajax
2008–2010: Youth and the first-team squad
On 17 October 2008, Eriksen signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Amsterdam-based club, Ajax. The transfer fee received by OB was estimated at €1 million (£847,199) while Middelfart also received a sum of €35 000 which they later used to construct a football pitch. He worked his way through the youth teams at Ajax and was promoted to the first-team squad in January 2010, where he was given the number 51 shirt. Later that month, he made his first-team debut in a 1–1 Eredivisie with NAC Breda. He scored his first goal for Ajax on 25 March in a 6–0 win over Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch Cup and extended his contract with the club the following month. On 6 May, he played in the second match of the final of the 2009–10 Dutch Cup as Ajax beat Feyenoord 4–1, prevailing 6–1 on aggregate. At the end of his first professional season with the club, Eriksen had played 21 competitive matches, scoring one goal, and had made his international debut for Denmark. Eriksen's form throughout the campaign earned praise from manager Martin Jol who compared him to former youth products Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart as well as Danish legend, Michael Laudrup for his reading of the game in the traditional "number 10" role.
2010–2013: Breakthrough years
Eriksen took the number eight jersey ahead of the following campaign and began the 2010–11 season well, scoring his first Ajax league goal on 29 August 2010 in an away victory over De Graafschap. Over the course of the next few months, he scored his first home goal at the Amsterdam Arena, in a 3–0 Cup victory over BV Veendam, and his first European goal, in a 3–0 UEFA Europa League win over Anderlecht. In between the milestone goals, Eriksen was also named Danish Talent of the Year. His growing capabilities as the team's playmaker saw him become an undisputed starter in the side and he helped Ajax to their first Eredivisie title in seven years. At the end of the season, he was named Ajax's Talent of the Year. His form throughout the campaign also earned him the Dutch Football Talent of the Year award which saw him become only the second Danish player to win the award since Jon Dahl Tomasson in 1996. Johan Cruyff, whose panel selected Eriksen for the award, described Eriksen as a typical product of the Danish school and added to previous comparisons between him and Brian and Michael Laudrup."
Tottenham Hotspur
2013–2016: Premier League introduction and League Cup runner-up
On 30 August 2013, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur announced that they had completed the transfer of Eriksen from Ajax in a deal believed to be worth £11 million (€12.45 million). Eriksen joined the club on the same day as Erik Lamela, who joined from Roma, and Vlad Chiricheș, who joined from Steaua București and took the club's total spending for the 2013 summer transfer window to £109.5 million. He made his league debut against Norwich City on 14 September 2013 and provided an assist for Gylfi Sigurðsson in a 2–0 victory. After the match, Spurs manager André Villas-Boas commented, "It was a great debut for Christian, he is a pure number 10, a creative player and his individual quality made all the difference."
2016–2020: Premier League runner-up and PFA Team of the Year
Inter Milan
On 28 January 2020, with his contract at Tottenham set to expire in six months, Eriksen signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Serie A club Inter Milan, which will net him 10 million euros per season. He made his club debut the following day, coming on as a second-half substitute for Alexis Sánchez in 2–1 home win over Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. On 20 February 2020, he scored his first goal for the club, netting the opener in a 2–0 away victory over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Europa League.
International career
Youth squads
Eriksen was called up to the Denmark national under-17 football team in July 2007 and impressed in his debut for the team on 31 July. In 2008, he scored nine goals in 16 games for the U-17s and was named Danish U-17 Talent of the Year by the Danish FA. He was also one of four nominees for the 2008 Danish Talent of the Year award, which was won by Mathias Jørgensen. He played 27 games for the under-17 team until February 2009. He played a total of eight games for the Denmark U-18 and Denmark U-19 teams during 2009. Eriksen was also called up for the Danish U-21 squad to the European championship in Denmark in 2011, the Danish team only participated in the group stage and Eriksen scored a goal against Belarus.
Senior squad
Eriksen received his first senior Denmark call-up in February 2010, making his debut in Denmark's friendly match against Austria in March, to become Denmark's fourth-youngest full international, being the youngest debutant since Michael Laudrup.
On 28 May 2010, Denmark coach Morten Olsen announced that Eriksen would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was the youngest player participating in the tournament. At the World Cup, Eriksen played two matches, against the Netherlands and Japan, but Denmark was unable to progress beyond the group stage.
On 9 February 2011, in a 2–1 friendly loss at home against England, Eriksen was named man of the match and was praised for his performance by a number of prominent footballing figures, including Chelsea star Frank Lampard, Man Utd star Rio Ferdinand (on Twitter), manager Morten Olsen and several media experts in Denmark and England. On 4 June 2011, Eriksen scored his first national team goal to give Denmark a 2–0 lead over Iceland in their Euro 2012 qualifier. In doing so, he became the youngest Danish player ever to score a goal in European qualification, being nine days younger than Michael Laudrup when he scored his first goal in 1983.
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification and tournament
In the build-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Denmark was drawn in UEFA Group E alongside the likes of Poland and Romania. Eriksen played a key role during the nation's qualification campaign during which time he scored eight goals to earn Denmark a play-off against the Republic of Ireland. The first leg of the play-off ended in a 0–0 home draw before Eriksen netted a hat-trick in Dublin's Aviva Stadium in a 5–1 win to earn Denmark a spot at the World Cup. Eriksen's treble took his tally to 11 goals for the qualification campaign, bettered only by Poland's Robert Lewandowski (16) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (15) in Europe, and earned the praise of national team manager Åge Hareide who stated that Eriksen was one of the top 10 players in the world.
In Denmark's opening match at the tournament, Eriksen assisted Yussuf Poulsen for the only goal in a 1–0 win over Peru before scoring his first goal for the tournament in the 1–1 draw with Australia the following week. Denmark ultimately progressed from their group after which they were drawn with Croatia in the Round of 16. There they were defeated after a penalty shoot-out, with Eriksen being one of three players to have his spot-kick saved by Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subašić.
On 9 September 2018, Eriksen scored twice in a 2–0 win over Wales to lead Denmark to victory in the nation's inaugural UEFA Nations League match.
Style of play
Described as a "classic number ten" in the media, Eriksen's favoured position is in a free role in the centre of the pitch as an attacking midfielder behind the forwards; however, he is a tactically intelligent and versatile player, who is also capable of playing as a central midfielder or mezzaluna in a 4–3–3 system (as was the case during his first years with Ajax), and even as a right-winger in a 4–2–3–1 formation, although he has also been used on the left flank on occasion, and is even capable of playing as a second striker. Gifted with excellent vision, passing range, crossing accuracy, set-piece delivery, creativity, technical skills, movement, and an ability to read the game, as well as good balance and co-ordination, he is highly regarded by pundits for his ability to orchestrate attacking moves for his team with his distribution, create or exploit spaces with his runs, and provide assists to his teammates, which makes him an excellent playmaker and creator. He is also known for his eye for goal from midfield, and for his ability to strike the ball with power and accuracy with either foot, despite being naturally right-footed, in particular from distance; moreover, he has also established himself as a free-kick specialist. A talented and hard-working player, his creative playing style, nationality, and role on the pitch has led pundits to compare him to compatriots Michael and Brian Laudrup, who were two of his major influences in his youth, as well as Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart; Eriksen has also cited Francesco Totti as an inspiration.[nb 1]
Personal life
Eriksen lives with his girlfriend Sabrina Kvist Jensen, Their first child, Alfred, was born on 4 June 2018.
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