Eriksen plays in first game since collapse on pitch

Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen marked his 30th birthday with a first appearance since his cardiac arrest in June last year, registering one assist in Brentford's 3-2 friendly win over fifth-tier club Southend United.

Eriksen, who joined Brentford as a free agent in January, played for about an hour in a friendly match behind closed doors, nearly eight months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a European Championship match.

His former club Inter Milan ended his contract in December as he is not allowed to play in Serie A due to his heart starter device (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator).

"A cold, damp afternoon in West London was lit up by Eriksen's return to a match environment for the first time since suffering a cardiac arrest last June," Brentford said on their website.

"Eriksen, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, could have found himself on the scoresheet in the opening minutes but was twice denied by the visitors' stopper Collin Andeng Ndi."

The former Tottenham Hotspur player said last week he is determined to prove he is still the same player he used to be before the incident and was not afraid to play with the implanted device.

(Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge)