With the European Championships now only a week away, the feeling towards the inclusion of two Manchester United men in the national team squad could hardly be more contrasting.
One of them is just about the first name on the team sheet these days. Outstanding during the qualifying campaign and, at the age of just 21, a potentially talismanic figure on the international stage for the next decade or more.
The inclusion of his Manchester United team-mate, however, has sparked a bit more debate. After starting only 12 Premier League games under Erik ten Hag in 2023/24, you can understand the concerns.
Is Christian Eriksen really match fit enough to lead Denmark into the group stages and beyond? Was it really the right move including him – after a season spent largely on the bench – and leaving out Matt O’Riley following a wonderful campaign at Scottish Premiership champions Celtic?
Well, as Eriksen drove forward with only a few minutes on the clock and curled a sumptuous finish into the corner of the Sweden net during Wednesday’s 2-1 friendly win, it’s hard to imagine a more emphatic way for the veteran playmaker to clap back at his critics.
Christian Eriksen fires Denmar to victory over Sweden
Amid all the clamour about Rasmus Hojlund, it was the man a decade his senior who dragged Denmark to victory over their Scandinavian rivals, scoring the winner and even setting up the opener with a corner flicked home by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
“When it’s ‘take your dad to work day’ and he outclassed you,” Hojlund wrote in a typically amusing post on his official Instagram account.
Eriksen, a veteran of 129 caps and 41 goals, may be something of a fatherly figure in the Denmark squad these days. By his own admission, the former Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax and Inter Milan ace feels ‘incredibly old’ these days compared to the fresh-faced young bucks he shares a dressing room with.
But, as Sweden found out in Copenhagen, while Eriksen has lost a yard or two of pace, his sheer quality has not been diminished by age.
Manchester United duo heading to Euro 2024
“It was great to see the goal,” Hojlund beams, speaking to Tipsbladet at full-time. “It was good to see him play 90 minutes again. He is a player with an incredible amount of quality, and I would describe him as world-class.”
Hojlund, meanwhile, failed to add to an impressive tally of seven goals in 13 caps but he was a constant thorn in Sweden’s side throughout at the Parken Stadium.
One particularly eye-catching effort – the Man United striker darting in behind, spinning a defender and then firing narrowly wide with his supposedly weaker right boot – epitomised a man who appears to have every single attribute you would want from a young centre-forward.
“It was great to win over the neighbours. It was my first Scandinavian derby, so it was cool,” Hojlund adds. “I think I’m playing a good match. I showed my speed and that I am a threat in the behind.
“I also got to hold on to (the ball) a few times and come up with some possibilities.”