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Before the medical staff arrived on the pitch to revive Christian Eriksen following his collapse, one man’s quick thinking played a pivotal role in saving his life – Simon Kjaer.
The Denmark captain sprinted the length of the pitch and sprung into action: he took Eriksen’s pulse, he made sure that his tongue was not blocking his airway and placed him in an upright position.
The fact that he prevented Eriksen from swallowing his tongue was vital for the medical staff, given that, in a period of convulsion, the tongue becomes the hardest muscle in the body and prevents air from reaching the lungs.
Kjaer’s heroic acts did not stop there, as he directed the medical staff onto the pitch before creating a protective wall of Denmark players around their stricken teammate.