But on Tuesday, 290 days after his collapse, it was a friendly match against Serbia that left the 30-year-old looking forward to an even more “special” comeback, and a chance to give his fans new and wonderful memories.
“I think it’s something you can’t prepare for,” Eriksen told reporters.
“The reception in Holland was very big and I expect it will be even bigger here. This is where it happened and people will see it.
“Then, people are going to talk about it, like everything is back to normal. They’ll have a new memory. It’s going to be special and I’m looking forward to that.”
quick recovery
Homecoming on Tuesday will mark another milestone for Eriksen on a journey that has been swift and triumphant thus far since cardiac arrest.
After being fitted with an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) – a type of pacemaker designed to prevent fatal cardiac arrests by discharging a jolt of electricity to restore a regular heart rhythm – Eriksen left Inter Milan to train with former Odense Boldklub in Denmark.
With two more World Cup qualifiers scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Denmark have already ensured a safe passage to Qatar after dominating their qualifying group with nine wins out of a potential 10.