Denmark v Scotland: Morten Wieghorst on Christian Eriksen, illness and adoption

Morten Wieghorst still has all the letters of support from the fans as he lay motionless in his hospital bed afflicted with Guillain-Barre syndrome.

“I remember it well, I’ve also watched it on video,” he says. “I remember most vividly the reaction of the fans behind the goals and also my teammates. I felt like they appreciated my experience and appreciated their support and help. It was a great moment that will stay with me forever.”

Wieghorst’s affection for Scotland stems from the support he received as he fought back from his state. Celtic Club physician Roddy MacDonald’s quick thought of a possible source of sudden fatigue and loss of coordination; The NHS and club staff who helped him learn to walk and run again; fans who wrote these letters of encouragement.

But it was also the fun he had in Dundee: he reached the League Cup final in 1996 and stopped with ten Celtic, friends he got along the way. However, now is the time to face the adopted other country as the assistant coach of his home country, Denmark.

The road to recovery

Denmark reached the World Cup qualifiers in Group F in March (winning three out of three, scoring 14 goals and not giving any), so he made it to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and had to face his friend and teammate Christian Eriksen. flirt by dying after a cardiac arrest in the field in the opening match against Finland.

“I think our head coach Kasper Hjulmand did an amazing job,” Wieghorst, 50, says. “He was very honest and told everyone that he was involved, he didn’t have all the answers. But he told the players and the staff that we all react differently in these circumstances, but every reaction is perfectly good.

“It’s ok to laugh, have fun and enjoy football. But it’s also good to be depressed, pity your friend and then when we have to perform and play games, we try to press a button and turn it on.

“Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that there are things that are bigger than football, but he did that thinking right.”

Eriksen takes time to recover, and Wieghorst says he had to fight again to play football, and he offers his support if and when the time comes.

“I enjoy coming back so much. Although the improvements were slow, I really enjoyed the process because it’s like getting a new life. It’s like going through all the steps again. You can’t remember as a child, but when you come to do it as an adult you really appreciate things, which you take for granted.

“Christian didn’t know what happened to him – so his family will be harder if he decides to go back to play. These are his dilemmas, but I’m pretty sure he misses playing and wants to work hard to make it possible.

“There are similarities in the mental sense. You have to be patient. You want to give up the patient, the sick. So yes – if he wants to, I could hopefully help him.”

“Clarke has increased flexibility”

For many, playing the Danish side in the name of their ousted captain at the emotionally charged Parken Stadium was one of the great joys of the already entertaining euro.

The support of the people clearly exceeded everything Wieghorst had seen before, even though Danish football peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

It is now a matter of maintaining this momentum in order to enter the 2022 World Cup in winter, as a generation of technically talented Danes strives to maximize their considerable abilities. However, they are wary of the recent rise in Scotland.

“They have a talented team, but the most important thing for them is actually part of the team in the game,” Wieghorst says. “I think Steve Clarke has added the flexibility and stronger tactical skill you need at this level.

“[At the Euros] They could have beaten England and be a little unhappy against the Czechs. Before the euro, they got a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands. They have very good results and are hard to play with.

“When we look at their data, even in games where they don’t have a lot of possession, they put a lot of quality crosses, especially on the left. This is very conscious.”

Wieghorst regrets that the Tartan Army will not be coming to Parken Stadium on Wednesday, and he enjoys a return to Glasgow – the city where his daughter Sofie was born – for the November away game.

It shows his continued affection for Scotland (as well as his kind and weak Scottish bride) and Wieghorst can’t help but remember the St Johnstone defeat on the final day of the 1997-98 season, when Celtic stopped the Rangers from winning the record in 10th title in a row.

“If I could have spent my whole career at Celtic, I would have wanted to do so. The competitiveness was so great and I enjoyed it. We had good and hard times, but I would do it all over again if I could.

“The same was in Dundee, so many great people and friends. Even people who weren’t involved in football anywhere, my wife and children always made me feel welcome.”