Eriksen targets World Cup after cardiac arrest

June 12, 2021 Denmark's Christian Eriksen is seen down on the pitch after collapsing during the match Pool via REUTERS

Denmark international Christian Eriksen said on Tuesday that his goal was to play in this year's Qatar World Cup as he steps up his recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest during his side's opening game in the European Championship in June.

Eriksen, 29, hasn't played since the incident against Finland last year, when he received life-saving treatment on the pitch.

Inter Milan terminated the midfielder's contract last month after he was suspended from playing in Italy because of his cardiac device implant.

In an interview to Danish broadcaster DR, Eriksen said he was in strong physical shape and that he was confident of playing at the showpiece event in Qatar that gets underway in November.

"My goal is to play in the World Cup in Qatar... that's been my mindset all along. Whether I'll be picked is another thing, but it's my dream to come back. So until then I'm just going to play and prove that I'm back at the same level," he said.

The former Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur player has been training with Swiss third-division side Chiasso in recent weeks, according to media reports.

Eriksen said that his heart was "not an obstacle", adding that the event at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium was unlikely to be repeated.

"My dream is to rejoin the national team and play at Parken again and prove that it was a one-timer. Again, it's up to the manager to assess my level," he said.

Eriksen has received thousands of messages of support in the last six months, which he said had greatly aided his recovery.

"It was weird, because I didn't expect people to send flowers because I'd died for five minutes... but it was very nice of everyone and it's been a big help to receive all those best wishes. And people still write to me."