Austria manager Ralf Rangnick says it is "an absolute miracle" Christian Eriksen is alive, let alone playing football again without any worries.
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest when playing for Denmark against Finland at Euro 2020 a year ago and was brought back to life on the pitch.
However, the 30-year-old was unable to play for Inter on medical grounds as Italy prevent players from competing after having a cardioverter-defibrillator fitted.
Brentford offered the midfielder a six-month contract in January and he subsequently delivered, scoring once and assisting four to help the Bees away from the relegation zone.
Thomas Frank remains hopeful of keeping Eriksen at the Brentford Community Stadium next season, despite interest from Manchester United and former club Tottenham.
Rangnick, speaking before Austria's Nations League clash with Denmark on Monday, cannot believe that Eriksen is back on the football pitch exactly a year on from the issues on June 12.
"It's an absolute miracle [that Christian Eriksen is still alive]. I can remember the pictures of the team forming a circle around him as he was being treated," Rangnick told reporters.
"It really was a matter of life and death. If anyone had predicted at the time that months later, six months later, he would be able to play football again, he would not have believed it.
"I talked to Kasper [Schmeichel] about it before the game, and he also said he doesn't worry about [Eriksen] anymore, because Eriksen enjoys it, he has no problems at all anymore so sees no problems playing.
"And it's extraordinary that when something like this happens to you, that you go about your job and play again without any worries. This is also something extraordinary."
Lucy Staniforth feels she deserves England recall after World Cup disappointment
Lucy Staniforth says her recall to the England squad after being a standby player ahead of the World Cup is something she feels she earned.
The 30-year-old, who had been set to go on holiday with her mother to Ibiza, changed that plan when she was called up by Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman in late June to replace Jess Park on a standby list also featuring Maya Le Tissier.
Staniforth was subsequently involved in preparations at home and then in Australia before parting ways with the squad as the tournament – in which Wiegman’s European champions went on to finish runners-up – got under way.
The Aston Villa midfielder, capped 17 times, most recently in October 2021, is back in the fold at the first opportunity since the World Cup, for the upcoming Nations League matches against Scotland and Netherlands.
She said: “I think from January, moving to Villa (after leaving Manchester United), it sort of put me back in the frame of England.
“It was always on my radar, something I wanted to get back into, and it felt like there was sort of unfinished business with the team.
“I really want to contribute and not just be here for the ride. So it was really pleasing to hear from Sarina and know I was called up to this camp.
“I felt like I’d earned it, and it’s a really satisfying feeling to know you’ve put in that hard work and obviously made an impact in the pre camps before the World Cup. And it just feels like I’m in the right place, this is where I should be.”
Staniforth says the standby stint left her with “fire in my belly”.
“I wouldn’t call it bittersweet,” she said. “It was such a wonderful camp. It was a real privilege to be part of that whole experience. I think me and Maya certainly enjoyed ourselves and we brought lots of good stuff to the camp too.
“But when we had to say goodbye, it was a bit like ‘the dream’s over now’. You always kind of had in the back of your head ‘maybe, maybe there’s a chance’.
“It’s probably my favourite camp I’ve ever been on, strange as that is because obviously it was stopped shorter than I would have liked.
“I came away and had such good feelings and no regrets. It left me in a really good mental place to go ‘OK, there’s still so much I want to achieve, there’s so much I want to do with England, and with Aston Villa.’ I just had so much hunger and fire in my belly.”
Asked if the experience had given her an extra push in pre-season, Staniforth said: “Oh yeah – I’ve been trying so hard!
“I have felt every rep, every run we’ve done. It’s been a really hard pre-season, probably the hardest I’ve done. I’ve really enjoyed the pain and the struggle!
“I kind of just had a little word with myself in the gym and was like ‘right – you’ve got time now, let’s go for it, let’s really push.’
“I just thought to myself ‘come on, let’s get down and work really hard’, and I’m really glad I’ve done that because now I’m here, I feel really good, really fit and I’m really looking forward to the England games.”
England face Scotland at the Stadium of Light on Friday, and ex-Sunderland player Staniforth feels it would be “pretty cool” to be involved again at a ground where she played in an FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea in 2009.
She added: “I have really fond memories of living and playing in the north east. I’m so excited to get back up there and whatever happens on Friday is just a bonus.”
Staniforth was “really proud” of her team-mates for their efforts at the World Cup – and regarding her mother, she said: “She went on holiday on her own and had an amazing time, so I was really happy for her. It’s the first holiday, first flight, everything, that she’d done on her own, so I was like ‘well done Mum!'”
David Raya backed himself to be number one at Arsenal
David Raya insists he always backed himself to become Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper – but admits he does not know if he will start Sunday’s north London derby.
The Spain international joined the Gunners on loan from Brentford this summer in a switch which, in all likelihood, will be made permanent for £27million next year.
Raya was signed to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the gloves and made his Arsenal debut in last weekend’s 1-0 win at Everton, retaining his place in the team for Wednesday’s 4-0 Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven.
Arsenal’s decision to recruit the 28-year-old to battle it out with Ramsdale drew criticism and caution from some pundits but manager Mikel Arteta believes he can keep both happy.
Asked if he had to believe he could oust Ramsdale after the England goalkeeper’s strong showings last season, Raya replied: “Of course, it is something every player has to do – to back yourself to get in the team and that is why I moved to Arsenal and try to do my best for the team when I’m selected.
“You never know when you’re going to play and that is the hardest thing to do. Making your debut for a club like Arsenal, and obviously having Aaron as a team-mate makes it a bit harder for you, but it came quick but you never know when it is going to be and you have to be ready.
“It is a dream come true to play at the highest level so I’m very pleased to make my debut, but the main thing was the result and we got the three points in the end, so that is the main thing.”
Raya will be widely expected to keep his place between the posts for Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to Tottenham, even with Arteta claiming he has considered swapping his goalkeepers during matches let alone rotating between fixtures.
“I understand that and I think it is the first time that two top goalkeepers are in the same team,” Raya said of the possibility of the goalkeepers being switched.
“That is just part of football now and the gaffer wants two top players for each position and that is what we have to work with. I have played the last two games and now we see what happens on Sunday.
“I’ve just been selected the last two games, that is just the choice of the gaffer – that is his choice, not my choice and when Aaron comes in he will need to also fight for the team and to win games.
“He (Ramsdale) has been great, he is a great team-mate, a leader as well. He is a great lad and a great keeper as well, we are team-mates and that is the main thing. We are team-mates at the end of the day.”
Bruno Fernandes tells Andre Onana to stop blaming himself for Man Utd defeat
Bruno Fernandes threw his support behind Andre Onana and told the devastated Manchester United goalkeeper to stop blaming himself for the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.
Having been beaten in three of their first five matches for the first time in the Premier League era, the Red Devils’ return to European football’s top table ended in a 4-3 loss on Wednesday night. Erik ten Hag’s men started the Group A opener surprisingly well at the Allianz Arena, only for summer signing Onana to somehow let a low Leroy Sane shot squirm home.
The 27-year-old buried his head in the turf and was consoled by team-mates, later saying he “let the team down” and that United “didn’t win today, it’s because of me”.
“It’s not about Andre,” United skipper Fernandes said. “Andre is a great goalkeeper.
“He will keep giving us a lot of points, a lot of saves. He hasn’t to take any blame for nothing.
“We have to take the blame as a team, that we’re going to go through this moment together because we are strong as a team.”
Onana’s gaffe was swiftly followed by a Serge Gnabry strike, with Harry Kane then scoring a penalty straight after Rasmus Hojlund had pulled one back early in the second half.
The match came to a hectic conclusion, with Casemiro scoring either side of Mathys Tel’s stoppage-time strike as United showed spirit but ultimately lost for a fourth time in five matches.
“I think what everyone has to do is to do their own job and look at themselves first,” Fernandes said in the bowels of the Allianz Arena.
“That’s what I do as a player, not as a captain – as a person and first point.
“I think everyone does that and I think today it wasn’t the case that not everyone was doing the best for the team or trying to fight for getting the result. I think everyone did that.
“It’s just the momentum and against big teams, as I said, when you give a lot of chances to them, they’re going to hurt you.
“Even then they give us some chances and we scored three goals, so I think no-one would expect us to come into Bayern and score three goals.
“I don’t think anyone outside of us would expect us to fight for the result in trying to get something from the game.
“But I think the team did. Obviously it wasn’t enough but we’re not playing against some bad team.
“We were playing one of the best teams in the world, with great players, with great qualities.
“Obviously it’s not the best moment for us but we will get through this and we will get the results back.”
United stayed in Germany following the Group A opener and are training before flying back as preparations step up for Saturday evening’s key trip to Burnley.
Ten Hag will be hoping to have more options to choose from at Turf Moor, having headed to Bayern without nine injured players.
“Obviously, we want to have everyone back because we know that as many players we have available, the team will be stronger,” Fernandes said. “And obviously more options for the manager to do his choices and whatever his tactics, the first 11 or whatever he picks.
“But obviously, still, we have the players and we have enough experience and enough talent in the team to get through this moment even with all the players.
“Obviously now I think some of them probably will come back earlier and will lift the team because we have quality players injured.
“But it’s about the ones that are now playing, giving something to get the result and that’s it.
“We can’t rely now on the injuries and everything.
“We know it’s tough and you need to get through that because you can’t control (it).
“But I think the team has players (good) enough to get a response.”
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