‘Leave Christian alone’ - Blind backs Eriksen to play again

Daley Blind

believes

Christian Eriksen

can resist his doubters and play, following a cardiac arrest he suffered.

Eriksen was hospitalized for six days after he collapsed during

’s battle against

and received CPR when his pulse slipped away.

The Denmark international was discharged when fitted with an ICD heart-starting device, which the Ajax star is also wearing after suffering the same incident two years ago.

Blind, who is representing his country in Euro 2020, was able to continue playing with the assistance of his heart monitor. The 31-year-old is persuading Eriksen to keep going despite many asking the 29-year-old to call it quits.

"

The images from Copenhagen – with Christian lying on the grass – had such a big impact on me,"

said Blind.

"Those images were so ­recognisable to me. It was so real again, this is why it was so emotional for me.

"I had to climb over a big, mental hurdle before I could manage to play the following day for Holland in our first group game. All the emotions came out. I am proud of myself that I managed to play for so long in that game. I did it, but it was hard.

"When this happened to me, the whole world was telling me I was finished as a player, that I would not be able to play again. Look where I am today. This is why I say to everyone, ‘Leave Christian alone!’."

Blind added on his return to playing:

"I felt I was ready and I felt comfortable to return once I got the green light from the ­doctors in the hospital and the medical staff at Ajax.

"There was no reason why I could not play at the top level again. The most important thing is that you have to feel free in your head. I had no fear. I was just ­incredibly happy that I was ­allowed to be part of the squad again and to be back in the team.

"Once the doctors tell you that you are okay to play again, you only feel the tension and ­excitement of playing, not the tension of fear."

Eriksen is now trying to recover at home with his family and the Danish Football Union announced that he came to the national team camp to hug his team-mates.

It is unknown whether he will play again and he is going to watch from the sideline as Denmark try to get to the next round.

Denmark were defeated at the hands of Finland after the game continued and lost to Belgium as well. They will go against Russia on Monday.

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