Christian Eriksen has persuaded Antonio Conte to give him a second chance at Inter by making two changes to his game, according to a report in the Italian media.
Gazzetta dello Sport’s online edition confirmed the Dane was likely to keep his spot in the Nerazzurri’s starting XI for Sunday’s derby against AC Milan, having impressed during the 3-1 win over Lazio.
Conte is thought to have been won over after Eriksen made it clear he was doing everything he could to adapt to his style of play.
The Milan-based paper recalled: “Eriksen told us in an interview one year ago: ‘I like to play wherever I can have the ball.’
“He has now understood he doesn’t need so many touches on the ball and can play faster, because that’s what Conte and Italian football in general demands.
“The other issue: Eriksen has never been lacking for dynamism, even in the Premier League he would often finish matches having covered large distances.
“What matters is not the quantity of his runs, though, but the quality and the intensity, and this is where he’s improved.
“This is how Eriksen has convinced Conte to play him as a ‘mezzala’ again, a position where it seemed he could never play again.”
Conte was also said to have ‘definitively worked out’ how to play Eriksen and Marcelo Brozovic together in midfield, having picked both from the start against Juventus in the Coppa Italia last week and then Lazio in Serie A.
Eriksen is even thought to be moving ahead of Arturo Vidal in Conte’s pecking order, having been close to re-joining Tottenham Hotspur or a move to Leicester City as recently as four weeks ago.
Gazzetta’s reported also confirmed the 29-year-old was benefiting in training from having learned Italian, a process which was slowed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
“Eriksen understands the language and makes an effort to speak in Italian at every opportunity at Appiano Gentile, which can only have helped his understanding with teammates on the pitch and his integration into the group,” the report added.
