Exclusive: Brentford manager Thomas Frank believes that Christian Eriksen was the most significant acquisition in the history of the Premier League club.

Brentford’s Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen has received high praise from his manager, Thomas Frank, who believes he is the “biggest signing” in the club’s history. Eriksen’s journey to Brentford was not an easy one, as he suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark during Euro 2020. After receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) device, he was forced to leave his previous club, Inter Milan, due to Serie A’s regulations. However, Eriksen made a remarkable comeback and signed with Brentford on January 31, 2022.

In an episode of ‘Moments That Made Me’ ahead of Brentford’s match against Liverpool, Frank shared his personal connection with Eriksen. He revealed that he had coached him in the Denmark U17 national team when Eriksen was just 15 or 16 years old. Frank’s son played a significant role in Eriksen’s arrival at Brentford, urging his father to reach out to the talented midfielder. When Eriksen expressed his desire to return to football in December, Frank’s son once again encouraged him to make the move. The manager described the experience of seeing Eriksen, whom he had coached as a teenager, walk through the doors of Brentford 14 years later as an experienced, confident, humble, and leader-like player.

After spending six months at Brentford, Eriksen made a move to Manchester United. However, his playing time has been limited this season, with only nine Premier League starts. The emergence of 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo from the academy has pushed Eriksen down the midfield pecking order at United. In an interview with Danish publication Tipsbladet, Frank expressed that Eriksen would always be welcome back at Brentford if he decided to change clubs. The manager acknowledged Eriksen’s time at United and praised his performances, despite a brief injury setback before Christmas. Frank emphasized that if Eriksen desired a return, he would be warmly received.

Brentford, currently positioned 14th in the Premier League table, will face Liverpool this Saturday afternoon in a match that will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.