Brentford sign ex-Tottenham star Christian Eriksen on transfer deadline day

Brentford have announced the signing of former Tottenham star Christian Eriksen on a six-month deal on transfer deadline day.

The Dane suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the Euros, which meant he could no long play for his club Inter Milan due to Italian health rules.

However the Bees have said the 29-year-old has completed a “medical assessment” and will sign until the end of the season, pending international clearance.

Eriksen played 226 times for Tottenham, scoring 51 goals and helping Spurs to a Champions League final.

He was part of Inter’s title-winning side last season, appearing 26 times.

The midfielder has earned 109 caps for his country, scoring 36 goals, and his last appearance was the fateful match against Finland in the Euros, when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

It was feared that Eriksen may have died on the pitch, with his heart stopping, but he was saved by quick thinking doctors.

He has not played since, and can no longer play in Italy due to strict health laws.

Eriksen left a message for Brentford fans, saying: “Hi everyone, it’s Christian Eriksen.

“I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed for Brentford Football Club.

“I can’t wait to get started, and hopefully I’ll see you all very soon.”

The Dane is well known to his countryman head coach Thomas Frank, who coached Eriksen for the Denmark U17s.

Frank said: “I am looking forward to working with Christian again.

“It has been a while since I last coached him, and a lot has happened since then.

“Christian was 16 at the time and has become one of the best midfield players to appear in the Premier League.

“He has also won trophies all over Europe and become the star of the Danish national team.

“We have taken an unbelievable opportunity to bring a world class player to Brentford.”

Frank revealed that Eriksen hasn’t trained with a team for seven months, but had kept himself in good shape.

“He hasn’t trained with a team for seven months but has done a lot of work on his own,” he said.

“He is fit but we will need to get him match fit and I am looking forward to seeing him work with the players and staff to get back towards his highest level.

“At his best, Christian has the ability to dictate games of football.

“He can find the right passes and is a goal threat.

“He also has very, very good set piece delivery, both from corners and direct free kicks.

“He is a player you can find with the ball, and he will come up with a solution to the problem in front of him.

“Christian will also bring experience of top-level football to the club.

“I expect him to have an impact in the dressing room and at the training ground.”

Phil Giles, director of football, said: “We first discussed the possibility of Christian joining Brentford when we heard that he would be leaving Inter. It is fantastic that he is now with us.

“Naturally the process of signing Christian was more elongated than most transfers.

“I understand that many people will have questions about the process.

“In order to respect Christian’s medical confidentiality, we won’t be going into any details.

“Brentford fans can rest assured that we have undertaken significant due diligence to ensure that Christian is in the best possible shape to return to competitive football.

“Now Christian has made the decision to sign for Brentford, all parties want to focus fully on football.

“We are sure that Christian will make a big impact at Brentford and on the Premier League between now and the end of the season.”

As Eriksen has only recently had his Covid-19 vaccination he will have to isolate on arriving in west London, so will not be able to train with his new side this week.