Manchester United’s Christian Eriksen has never been against speaking honestly about the ongoings at the club.
The Dane has been often linked with a move away – particularly now since the new-look Manchester United seeks to offload those who underperform.
The 32-year-old midfielder has often spoken truthfully about how life is at the North West side and has recently spoken about pre-season. When it comes to this sport, Eriksen is a man who has earned respect and has been through a lot as a professional footballer.
Over the years, honesty has become a rare entity with fans of the red side of Manchester. These supporters have become accustomed to hearing PR statements about certain elements or ongoings at the club. Whether this comes from the official club channels or players’ social media platforms, the Reds fans know to take these with a pinch of salt.
The hope for the present and future of the club is that this will be a thing of the past.
Instead, they will be hopeful the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe will bring a more transparent football club. However, since the arrival of Eriksen, fans have often been given an insight into what life is like at the club.
Last summer, the Dane spoke out against the schedule the club had when preparing for the new season, saying: “I think it’s been good, there’s been a lot of games and too much traveling, to be honest.”
He added: “We expected a tough pre-season, but for me, there’s probably been too much traveling around”.
When asked about last year’s preseason schedule, which included several games in the United States, he said: “Obviously last summer is what it is. It’s also a sponsor’s trip at the same time as fitness and, looking at it, the football was pushed a little bit backwards last season”.
In December of last year, Erik ten Hag’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest. This game showcased another example when the club conceded shortly after scoring. Marcus Rashford leveled proceedings in the 78th minute before Morgan Gibbs-White scored the winner, just four minutes later.
Speaking out after the defeat, Eriksen said: “We have to look forward, we have to work to get back. I mean, this season has been a lot of ups and downs, so it’s nothing new for us”.
This honesty is far more respected by the large sections of the United following rather than hearing a regurgitated statement following a defeat.
Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at 29 years of age when playing for Denmark in Euro 2020 against Finland.
Teammates of the Dane huddled around him to ensure his privacy as the medical staff worked on resuscitating him.
Since then, the player has been lauded by fans of the clubs he has played for and even those he played against.
In May 2022, in the final home game of the season, then-Ralf Rangnick’s side defeated Brentford 3-0 and Eriksen played the full 90 minutes for the Bees.
Supporters of the Red Devils made their support known throughout the game by applauding him regularly.
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The three-time Eredivisie winner now faces a period of uncertainty as the club explores options to cooperate with Financial Fair Play while introducing signings.
In March of this year, he spoke out on the lack of game time as he battled Kobbie Mainoo for a place in the starting lineup.
He said: “I’ve said in the past that I’m not happy with not playing, but it’s not something I lose sleep over. The team performs and then I have to respect the role you have on the side”.
Currently Eriksen faces tough competition for his place in the starting lineup.
As INEOS look to switch the club to a more youthful side, the Serie A winner could be shown the door this summer.
Photo: IMAGO / Propaganda Photo
