'He can do things no one else can': National boss says Man United ace is a unique talent

Manchester United supporters have not seen the best of one of Erik ten Hag’s first signings for the club this season.

And amid the frenetic nature of the Premier League, many have asked whether Christian Eriksen is simply ‘past it’.

But give him the ball in the final third, give him time and space, and Eriksen still possesses the vision, the guile and the sharp creativity to turn nothing into something in the blink of an eye.

Sweden found that out the hard way on Wednesday night in the Danish capital, Kasper Hjulmand’s side defeating their Scandinavian neighbours thanks to a moment of rolling-back-the-years brilliance from Manchester United‘s maturing maestro.

Manchester United ace inspires Denmark win over Sweden

With 85 minutes on the clock, Eriksen picked up possession outside the penalty area, drove forward and – using the Sweden defence as a marker – curled a mouth-watering shot into the proverbial postage stamp.

It was a goal which left his Man United team-mate Rasmus Hojlund open mouthed and bowing down to his idol’s ageless qualities.

And, for Hjulmand, a moment of bonafide game-breaking, match-winning luminosity is justification alone for Eriksen’s continued involvement in the national team picture.

“I think he played a good match,” Hjulmand tells Avisen. “You could see that, physically, he just lacks the last (bit of something). But we still saw his game intelligence, his perception of space, passing, his good feet and shooting.

“He can do things that no one else can or see. Both goals and assists.”

With 41 to his name, Eriksen is now fourth in Denmark’s all-time scoring charts. He could move into third if he finds the net twice at this summer’s European Championships, the 2021 semi-finalists facing Serbia, Slovenia and Gareth Southgate’s England in Group C.

“It is a privilege to coach a player like Christian,” Hjulmand adds. “Every single day, I see how good he is when he runs around with the ball. He loves the game.”

Christian Eriksen’s future uncertain at Old Trafford

Eriksen’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain, Ineos looking to both reduce the wage bill and the age of the Red Devils squad. Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have already departed, and Eriksen opened up this week on his frustrations after playing a back seat role under Erik ten Hag in 2023/24.

“For me, the season has been a little different to other seasons,” the 32-year-old tells TV2. “It has been a slightly different role. It’s new to me, but it’s also new to the outside world. It is clear, in relation to how people talk (about me).

“I was also a bit lucky that I didn’t sit on the bench so much when I was younger. But I did it once in a while. It’s never fun, that’s for sure,” Eriksen adds.

“Personally, you always want to be the one who is chosen first in the team. Sometimes the coach looks the other way. But then I play for United.

“There is just a battle for places, because there are a lot of good players.”