Christian Eriksen’s time at Brentford lasted only half a season, but it became his comeback. He signed a six-month contract on 31 January 2022, played his first match on 26 February against Newcastle – 259 days after his cardiac arrest at Parken – and scored his only goal in the 4-1 win at Chelsea on 2 April. He finished with 11 appearances, 1 goal and 4 Premier League assists before joining Manchester United in the summer of 2022.
Christian Eriksen Brentford contract: six months from January 2022
After his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 on 12 June 2021, Eriksen was fitted with an ICD, a small implanted defibrillator that, according to the Danish health portal sundhed.dk, monitors the heart rhythm and can deliver a shock if a dangerous rhythm disturbance occurs. That ended his time at Inter: on 29 October 2021 it was confirmed that Italian sports-medical rules do not allow players with an ICD to be certified fit, and on 17 December 2021 his contract was terminated by mutual consent – see Eriksen at Inter, where he had won Serie A the season before, and the full story of the cardiac arrest.
He kept fit by training alone at his old club OB in Odense and at Ajax. In England, players with an ICD were allowed to play, and on 31 January 2022 Brentford announced his signing on a deal until the end of the season, with no fee because he was a free agent (Brentford’s announcement). The manager was Thomas Frank, his former coach with Denmark’s U17 team. Eriksen wore number 21. His Brentford salary was never disclosed.
The comeback against Newcastle
On Saturday 26 February 2022 he came off the bench against Newcastle, replacing fellow Dane Mathias Jensen. Brentford lost 2-0, but the result was secondary: it was 259 days after his cardiac arrest, and he was back in the Premier League, the league he had played in for Tottenham Hotspur from 2013 to 2020 (Eriksen at Tottenham). Before the move he had given his first interview since the cardiac arrest to Danish broadcaster DR1 on 6 January 2022, and that February he told BBC Sport he had been “gone from this world for five minutes” at Parken until the medics got his heartbeat back.
First goal in the 4-1 win at Stamford Bridge
He quickly became a starter, and on 2 April 2022 he scored in Brentford’s 4-1 win at Chelsea – his only goal for the club. The same day Thomas Frank told his press conference: “I don’t think it is any secret that, of course, we would like to continue.” That spring Eriksen also set up Pontus Jansson’s late winner at Watford.
Christian Eriksen at Brentford in numbers
In half a season he made 11 appearances, all in the Premier League, with 1 goal and 4 assists (ESPN).
Premier League analyst Adrian Clarke assessed his impact on 29 April 2022 (premierleague.com). In the six matches Eriksen had started, Brentford had won five and lost none, averaging 2.7 points per game; in the 28 matches without him in the starting line-up they had won six and averaged 0.9. He led the team with 50.4 passes per 90 minutes and had made 14 key passes, nine of them for Ivan Toney, and no Premier League player with at least six starts created more set-piece chances per 90 minutes. It is a small sample, but it explains why Brentford wanted to keep him.
Back with Denmark the same spring
The comeback also led back to the national team. On 26 March 2022 he came on at half-time in Amsterdam and scored within two minutes, although the Netherlands won 4-2. Three days later he captained Denmark and scored in a 3-0 win over Serbia at Parken, his first match at the stadium since 12 June 2021. Two years later, at Euro 2024, he became Denmark’s most-capped men’s player, passing Simon Kjær with his 133rd cap against Serbia – more on Eriksen and Denmark.
Why he left for Manchester United
The Brentford deal always ran only until 30 June 2022. Brentford and Frank made clear they wanted to extend it, but Eriksen was free to choose, and in early July he was officially without a club. On 15 July 2022 he joined Manchester United on a free transfer and a three-year contract. He has not given a detailed public explanation of the choice, and we do not speculate. His United debut came on 7 August 2022 against Brighton, and three seasons at Old Trafford followed, including the 2024 FA Cup win, and in 2023 he won the Laureus Comeback of the Year award.
Questions about Eriksen at Brentford
When did Christian Eriksen join Brentford?
He signed on 31 January 2022 on a contract until the end of the season, about six months, as a free agent after his Inter contract was terminated in December 2021.
What was his first game for Brentford?
He came off the bench against Newcastle on 26 February 2022. Brentford lost 2-0, and the match came 259 days after his cardiac arrest.
How many goals did Eriksen score for Brentford?
One, in the 4-1 win at Chelsea on 2 April 2022. In total he made 11 appearances with 4 Premier League assists.
Why did Eriksen leave Brentford?
His contract expired on 30 June 2022. Brentford wanted to keep him, but he signed a three-year contract with Manchester United on 15 July 2022.