Christian Eriksen facts for kids
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Eriksen playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 February 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Middelfart, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.82m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Manchester United | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2005 | Middelfart G&BK | ||
| 2005–2008 | OB | ||
| 2008–2010 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2013 | Ajax | 113 | (25) |
| 2013–2020 | Tottenham Hotspur | 226 | (51) |
| 2020–2021 | Inter Milan | 43 | (4) |
| 2022 | Brentford | 11 | (1) |
| 2022– | Manchester United | 62 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007–2009 | Denmark U17 | 27 | (9) |
| 2009 | Denmark U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009 | Denmark U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2011 | Denmark U21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2010– | Denmark | 140 | (43) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Christian Dannemann Eriksen (born 14 February 1992) is a Danish professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United. He also plays for the Denmark national team. He is Denmark's most capped player. He is also their fourth-highest goal scorer of all time. He has won the Danish Football Player of the Year award five times, which is a record!
Eriksen started his senior club career at 18 years old in 2010. He played for Ajax and won three league titles. In 2013, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. There, he was named the club's Player of the Year twice. He also reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. In 2020, Eriksen joined Inter Milan and won a Serie A title.
During a UEFA Euro 2020 match in June 2021, Eriksen suddenly collapsed on the field. He received quick medical help and was later fitted with a special heart device. He bravely returned to football eight months later with Brentford. The next season, he joined Manchester United.
Eriksen first played for Denmark's national team in 2010 when he was 18. He has played 140 games for his country. He has also played in six major tournaments, including being the youngest player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career: Christian Eriksen's Journey
Christian Eriksen started his football journey in his hometown of Middelfart, Denmark. He followed his father, Thomas, who was also a coach. In 2005, he joined Odense Boldklub. Here, he began to show his amazing skills. Many big European clubs noticed him, like Chelsea and Barcelona. But Eriksen chose to join Ajax in the Netherlands. He felt it was the best step for his development.
Ajax: Early Success and Growth
On 17 October 2008, Eriksen signed with Amsterdam club, Ajax. He quickly moved up through their youth teams. In January 2010, he joined the first team. He made his debut later that month. He scored his first goal for Ajax in March in a cup match. He also helped Ajax win the Dutch Cup. At the end of his first season, he had played 21 games and scored one goal. He also made his debut for Denmark. His coach, Martin Jol, compared him to famous players like Wesley Sneijder and Michael Laudrup.
Eriksen continued to shine in the 2010–11 season. He scored his first league goal for Ajax in August 2010. He also scored his first European goal. During this time, he was named Danish Talent of the Year. He became a key player for Ajax. He helped them win their first league title in seven years. He was also named Ajax's Talent of the Year. He was only the second Danish player to win the Dutch Football Talent of the Year award.
In October 2011, Eriksen scored his first UEFA Champions League goal. He continued to play well, helping Ajax win a second league title in a row. He also won the Danish Football Player of the Year award. Eriksen and Ajax won the league again in the 2012–13 season. After this, he decided to look for a new club. He had played 162 games for Ajax and scored 32 goals.
Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League Star
On 30 August 2013, Eriksen joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. The deal was worth about £11 million. He made his league debut on 14 September. He helped his team win 2–0 against Norwich City. His manager, André Villas-Boas, praised his creative play.
Five days later, Eriksen scored his first goal for Tottenham in a Europa League match. He scored from a free kick against West Bromwich Albion. He also scored against Manchester United on 1 January 2014. In March, he scored two goals against Southampton to help Tottenham come back and win. By the end of the season, he had scored 10 goals and made 13 assists. He was named Tottenham's Player of the Season. He also won the Danish Football Player of the Year award again.
In the 2014–15 season, Eriksen scored important late goals. He scored against Aston Villa, Hull City, and Swansea City. By the end of 2014, he had scored more goals from open play than any other player in England. He won his second Danish Footballer of the Year award. In January 2015, he scored twice in a cup match to send Tottenham to the League Cup Final. Tottenham lost the final to Chelsea. Eriksen played in every Premier League game that season.
Eriksen stayed at Tottenham and continued to play well. In January 2016, he won his third Danish Footballer of the Year award. He was the first player to win it three years in a row. He helped Tottenham finish third in the league.
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In the next season, Eriksen signed a new contract. He scored eight goals and made 15 assists. Tottenham finished second in the league. He also won the Tottenham Player of the Season award for the second time.
In September 2017, Eriksen broke the record for most goals by a Danish player in the Premier League. He scored his 33rd goal. In December, he played his 200th game for Tottenham and scored. The next month, he scored his 50th goal for the club. It was the third-fastest goal ever scored in the Premier League. In April 2018, he scored a great goal against Chelsea, helping Tottenham win at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 28 years. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time.
In the 2018–19 season, Eriksen scored important goals in the Champions League. He also made his 200th Premier League appearance. He helped Son Heung-min score the first goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Eriksen played in the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, but Tottenham lost to Liverpool.
Inter Milan: A New Challenge
On 28 January 2020, Eriksen joined Serie A club Inter Milan. He signed a four-and-a-half-year deal. He made his debut the next day. In February, he scored his first goal for Inter in a Europa League match. He scored his first Serie A goal in July. In August, he played in the 2020 Europa League Final, which Inter lost.
In January 2021, Eriksen scored a winning free kick goal against rivals Milan in the cup. After this, his manager said he would stay with the club. In May, he scored a goal that helped Inter get closer to their first league title since 2010. Inter won the league the next day, ending Juventus's nine-year winning streak.
In October 2021, it was announced that Eriksen could not play in Serie A anymore. This was because of the special heart device he had. He began training alone at his old youth club. On 17 December 2021, Inter ended his contract.
Brentford: The Comeback
On 31 January 2022, Eriksen signed a six-month contract with Premier League club Brentford. He made his first appearance on 26 February. He made his first assist since his heart event in March. He scored his first Premier League goal since his return in April. He helped Brentford win against Chelsea, their first win against them since 1939. He created many chances for his team during his time at Brentford.
Manchester United: Current Club
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On 15 July 2022, Manchester United announced they would sign Eriksen. He signed a three-year deal. He made his debut on 7 August. He made his first assist in a win against Arsenal. He scored his first goal for the club in a win against Fulham. He was a key player in United's 2022–23 EFL Cup winning team. He scored his first home goal for the club in a cup win against Burnley.
International Career: Playing for Denmark
Youth and Early Senior Career
Eriksen was called up to the Denmark national under-17 football team in July 2007. He played very well. In 2008, he scored eight goals for the U-17 team. He was named Danish U-17 Talent of the Year. He played 27 games for the U-17 team. He also played for the U-18 and U-19 teams. He was part of the Danish U-21 squad for the European championship in 2011.
Eriksen got his first call-up to the senior Denmark team in February 2010. He made his debut in March. He became Denmark's fourth youngest player to play for the national team. In May 2010, he was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He was the youngest player in the whole tournament. He played in two matches at the World Cup.
On 9 February 2011, Eriksen was named man of the match in a friendly game against England. Many famous football people praised his performance. On 4 June 2011, Eriksen scored his first goal for Denmark. He became the youngest Danish player to score a goal in European qualification.
2018 FIFA World Cup Journey
For the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Denmark played in a qualifying group. Eriksen was a very important player. He scored eight goals in the qualification games. This helped Denmark get into a play-off against the Republic of Ireland. The first game was a 0–0 draw. But in the second game, Eriksen scored three goals! This amazing performance helped Denmark win 5–1 and get a spot at the World Cup. His national team manager said Eriksen was one of the top 10 players in the world.
In Denmark's first World Cup match, Eriksen helped his team score the only goal in a 1–0 win. He then scored his first goal of the tournament in a 1–1 draw. Denmark moved on from their group. They played against Croatia. The game went to a penalty shoot-out, and Denmark lost.
In September 2018, Eriksen scored two goals against Wales. This helped Denmark win their first 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B match. In October 2020, Eriksen played his 100th game for Denmark. He scored a penalty in a 1–0 win against England.
UEFA Euro 2020: A Health Scare and Return
Eriksen was part of Denmark's squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. On 12 June, during their first group match against Finland, Eriksen collapsed on the field. His teammate, Simon Kjær, quickly helped him. Medical staff arrived right away and gave him emergency treatment. He was then taken to the hospital. About an hour later, officials confirmed that Eriksen was stable and awake. The match continued later that evening.
The next day, doctors confirmed Eriksen had a sudden heart event. This event was similar to what happened to other footballers. On 15 June, Eriksen shared a picture from the hospital. He said he was "fine under the circumstances." The next day, it was announced he would get a special heart device. This device was needed because of his heart rhythm. The operation was successful, and he left the hospital on 18 June. He visited his teammates before going home. The Danish team later dedicated their win against Russia to Eriksen. They reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
Return to International Football
Eriksen returned to play for Denmark on 26 March 2022. He came on in a game against the Netherlands and scored two minutes later!
Eriksen was also in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He played in every minute of Denmark's games.
For UEFA Euro 2024, Eriksen was again in the squad. He scored in Denmark's first group match. In the last group game, he played his 133rd international match. This made him the most-capped Danish player ever!
Style of Play: How Christian Eriksen Plays
Eriksen is often called a "classic number ten". This means he likes to play in the middle of the field, just behind the main attackers. He is very good at many things. He can also play as a central midfielder or on the right side.
He has amazing vision, which means he can see passes others can't. He can pass the ball very far and accurately. He is also great at free kicks and crossing the ball. Eriksen is known for his creativity and technical skills. He moves well and understands the game. He helps his team create chances and score goals. He is also known for working hard and being smart on the field. He can shoot powerfully and accurately with both feet, even though he is naturally right-footed.
Because of how he plays, people compare him to famous Danish players like Michael Laudrup and Brian Laudrup.
Personal Life
Christian Eriksen lives with his girlfriend, Sabrina Kvist Jensen. They have a son and a daughter. His younger sister, Louise Eriksen, also plays football. She is a captain for a team called KoldingQ.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 2009–10 | Eredivisie | 15 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | Eredivisie | 28 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | Eredivisie | 33 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | Eredivisie | 33 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | 8 | 1 | — | 45 | 13 | |||
| 2013–14 | Eredivisie | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 113 | 25 | 16 | 4 | — | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 162 | 32 | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2013–14 | Premier League | 25 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | — | 36 | 10 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 38 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 48 | 12 | ||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 35 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 47 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 36 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | 48 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 37 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 47 | 14 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 | — | 51 | 10 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 28 | 3 | ||
| Total | 226 | 51 | 15 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 51 | 10 | — | 305 | 69 | |||
| Inter Milan | 2019–20 | Serie A | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | — | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 26 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| Total | 43 | 4 | 7 | 2 | — | 10 | 2 | — | 60 | 8 | ||||
| Brentford | 2021–22 | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Manchester United | 2022–23 | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | 44 | 2 | |
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 | |
| Total | 62 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 455 | 83 | 44 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 108 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 629 | 117 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2010 | 10 | 0 |
| 2011 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 9 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2020 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 3 | |
| Total | 140 | 43 | |
- Denmark score listed first, score column indicates score after each Eriksen goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 June 2011 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland | 14 |  Iceland |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 2 | 10 August 2011 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 15 |  Scotland |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 5 June 2013 | Aalborg Stadium, Aalborg, Denmark | 35 |  Georgia |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 14 August 2013 | Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland | 37 |  Poland |
1–1 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 5 | 22 May 2014 | Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary | 43 |  Hungary |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 8 June 2015 | Viborg Stadium, Viborg, Denmark | 52 |  Montenegro |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 7 June 2016 | Suita City Football Stadium, Suita, Japan | 61 |  Bulgaria |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2016 Kirin Cup |
| 8 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 9 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 4 September 2016 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 63 |  Armenia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 11 November 2016 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 66 |  Kazakhstan |
2–1 | 4–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 4–1 | ||||||
| 13 | 6 June 2017 | Brøndby Stadium, Brøndbyvester, Denmark | 68 |  Germany |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 14 | 10 June 2017 | Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan | 69 | Kazakhstan |
2–0 | 3–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 1 September 2017 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 70 | Poland |
4–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 4 September 2017 | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia | 71 | Armenia |
2–1 | 4–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 5 October 2017 | City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro | 72 | Montenegro |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 8 October 2017 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 73 |  Romania |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 19 | 14 November 2017 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | 75 |  Republic of Ireland |
2–1 | 5–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 21 | 4–1 | ||||||
| 22 | 9 June 2018 | Brøndby Stadium, Brøndbyvester, Denmark | 78 |  Mexico |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 23 | 21 June 2018 | Samara Arena, Samara, Russia | 80 |  Australia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
| 24 | 9 September 2018 | Ceres Park, Aarhus, Denmark | 83 |  Wales |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B |
| 25 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 26 | 21 March 2019 | Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo | 86 |  Kosovo |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 27 | 10 June 2019 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 89 | Georgia |
2–1 | 5–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 28 | 5 September 2019 | Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar | 90 |  Gibraltar |
2–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 29 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 30 | 15 November 2019 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 94 | Gibraltar |
5–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 31 | 6–0 | ||||||
| 32 | 7 October 2020 | MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark | 98 |  Faroe Islands |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 33 | 11 October 2020 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland | 99 | Iceland |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 34 | 14 October 2020 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 100 |  England |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 35 | 15 November 2020 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 102 | Iceland |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 36 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 37 | 26 March 2022 | Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 110 |  Netherlands |
2–3 | 2–4 | Friendly |
| 38 | 29 March 2022 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 111 |  Serbia |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 39 | 22 September 2022 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 116 |  Croatia |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 40 | 7 September 2023 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 123 |  San Marino |
4–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 41 | 5 June 2024 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 129 |  Sweden |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 42 | 16 June 2024 | MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany | 131 |  Slovenia |
1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 43 | 15 October 2024 | Kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland | 138 |  Switzerland |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- KNVB Cup: 2009–10
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2013
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2014–15
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2020–21
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2019–20
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2023–24; runner-up: 2022–23
Individual
- Ajax Talent of the Future (Sjaak Swart Award) 2010
- Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 2011
- Danish U-17 Talent of the Year: 2008
- Danish Talent of the Year: 2010, 2011
- Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2011
- Dutch Footballer of the Year Bronze Boot: 2012
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
- Danish Football Player of the Year by TV2 and DBU: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017
- PFA Team of the Year: 2017–18 Premier League
- Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year: 2013–14, 2016–17
- UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season 2nd place: 2018–19
- Premier League Goal of the Month: April 2018
- FIFA FIFPro World11 nominee: 2019 (14th midfielder)
- Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Christian Eriksen para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- Damar Hamlin - An NFL player who suffered a similar cardiac arrest during a competition
