Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand believes that national team midfielder Christian Eriksen has developed as a player since joining Inter.
The 29-year-old moved to Serie A from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in January 2020 and has established himself as a key player under Antonio Conte this season, having initially struggled.
Eriksen has helped Inter win a first Scudetto since 2010 this season and Hjulmand was happy to see him find his form ahead of Denmark’s Euro 2020 campaign this summer.
“I am very happy that he has taken on such an important role at Inter, scoring a crucial goal against Crotone and that he is getting minutes ahead of this summer’s European Championships,” Hjulmand claimed in an interview with FCInterNews.it.
“The reason why things have changed has a lot to do with that, and how you see Christian. He has always had quality and personality, but I think you need to know his personality better. Christian has a fire inside and wants to win. There is no doubt about that.
“But at the same time he is a player who he wants to put himself at the service of the team, in order to be useful for the common cause. He is a top player who has kept this up for years and is now rewarded.
“An Eriksen in excellent shape who reaches Euro 2020 after having played and achieved great success with Inter will be a very important resource for us.
“Christian Eriksen has been part of the European elite of players for a long time and with the Serie A title he is now experiencing a fantastic moment in his career at Inter.
“I am very happy with his path at Inter, where he has transformed into an important player that contributes decisively, exactly as he does with the national team. His experience at Inter has contributed to his development, you can always learn something new. He is and will always be a top player.”
After helping Inter win the Scudetto this season, Eriksen is expected to be involved as the Nerazzurri challenge for the Champions League next term, after reaching a Final with Spurs in 2019.
Hjulmand claimed that the Nerazzurri were well equipped to compete in Europe but it was still too early to say if they could win the Champions League.
“Inter have a very strong team, with many great players, but it is difficult to predict how far they will be able to go in the Champions League. It is a very competitive competition, which requires quality and experience to win.
“For the matches played in Serie A, and for how they have played this season, I think Inter can challenge most of the European clubs.
“Eriksen has already experienced what it means to reach a Champions League Final in England, so in that he knows the tournament and he knows what is needed to advance to the final stages of the competition.”
Denmark are set to face Belgium at Euro 2020, with Inter striker Romelu Lukaku leading the line, and the coach was looking forward to coming up against him.
“Lukaku is certainly one of the strongest strikers in the world and on several occasions he has shown his countless qualities on the pitch.
“We have seen him week after week in Serie A and we have experienced it ourselves twice in the UEFA Nations League. Wwe look forward to meeting him and Belgium again at the next European Championships,” Hjulmand concluded.
