Thomas Frank has no concerns over new Brentford signing Christian Eriksen and insists “everything is perfect” with the playmaker’s health.
The Bees signed the former Tottenham midfielder on Monday to offer him a route back into football after he suffered a cardiac arrest in June.
Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator days after he collapsed at Euro 2020, and was unable to continue his career with Inter Milan due to rules in Italy concerning athletes fitted with the device.
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But after the 26-year-old Denmark midfielder completed the relevant medical assessments he was able to sign for Brentford on the final day of the January transfer window.
“It is a little bit of a miracle of course that first and foremost he is healthy but also that he wants and feels ready to play football again,” Frank said ahead of the Bees’ trip to Everton in the FA Cup fourth-round, a match Eriksen will not be available for.
“I would say no (concerns). Of course, I am not a doctor but all the specialists who have seen him, met him and tested him know that everything is perfect. I know Christian and his family would never take the slightest risk in that sense that something could happen when he is training or playing a football match.
“For me it is down to the mental part of it and getting back into rhythm, playing football at a top, top level and managing it, which I expect will be fine.”
A first conversation between Frank and Eriksen over a potential move occurred in December, with the pair previously working together when the midfielder was coached by the Bees boss in the Denmark age-groups.
Since his near-death experience during Denmark’s match with Finland in Copenhagen this summer, the 109-capped international has trained with ex-academy side OB and also spent time with the youth team at Ajax.
Frank added: “We got it over the line and that was fantastic. It is potentially the greatest signing ever for the club.
“I spoke to a fan last night and he mentioned a guy, I can’t even remember his name, about 70 years ago who was at potentially the same level. I think this is still the biggest signing and the story behind it, I think it will be an unbelievable day the day Christian steps on to the pitch.
✍ Welcome to Brentford, @ChrisEriksen8 👊#BrentfordFC 🐝 #EriksenJoins pic.twitter.com/O8h5WbdUZ2
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 31, 2022
“You guys have seen him for years performing as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and what happened to him in June was crazy and a shock for all of us, so to see him out on the pitch soon is going to be a big day.”
Eriksen will not train with his new team-mates until Monday and Frank, who could also miss Saturday’s trip to Goodison Park after he tested positive for coronavirus last weekend, made no promises over when his debut may take place.
He added: “I hope weeks, a few weeks, but I don’t know. I am much more clever when I have spoken to him and seen him train.
“Christian will arrive on Sunday and will train with the team on Monday. That will be the first training. Of course I have been speaking to him a lot.
“He has a physical coach. They had two Zoom meetings with Chris Haslam, our head of performance, during this week to make sure we had everything in the best way.
“Christian has got a solid physical foundation and has been doing all sorts of tests. He has been running a lot, training a lot so he has done a lot over the last months so his foundation is fine but that is one thing.
“Another thing is to get up to that match intensity that we need. It is more or less impossible for me to say when he is available.
“I think I am more clever on Monday when I have seen him, touched him, worked with him and talked with his physical coach.”
