ANDREW Robertson admits he has nothing but respect for his Danish counterpart Simon Kjaer after watching the Denmark captain’s response after Christian Eriksen collapsed during Saturday’s meeting with Finland in Group B.
Shortly before half-time, Eriksen received the ball from a throw-in before going limp and dropping to the floor, sparking immediate shouts of concern from the players around him. Kjaer was one of the first on the scene and positioned his team-mate so that he would not swallow his own tongue, as well as leading the other players to form a wall around the Inter playmaker and comforting Eriksen’s distraught wife on the sidelines.
Eriksen has since regained consciousness and is undergoing a series of tests and the football community have been quick to praise the actions of Kjaer. As Robertson watched on, horrified and helpless like the rest of us, he couldn’t help but be inspired by the quick thinking of the Danish centre-half.
“We were all watching it and all you can do in that moment is pray,” Robertson recalled. “I don’t know Christian personally but I’ve played against him a few times and it’s one of your fellow professionals.
“The scenes were heartbreaking. Thankfully the news is more positive and everyone at Scotland sends our well wishes to him, his family and his whole country.
“It wasn’t nice for the wider football community to watch but I can’t imagine what his family, friends and team-mates went through.
“Credit to the players on the park. They were unbelievable. To form that wall to keep him protected was fantastic.
“The referee as well. I know Anthony Taylor well and his way of dealing with it was second to none. He might not get the credit he deserves but to be so quick and responsive, he was probably a bit part in saying the man’s life.
“Their captain Kjaer was heroic. Fair play to him. No matter what happens in this tournament, I don’t care if it’s the best goal ever scored in the world, that for me will be the picture of the tournament.
“You could see they were all devastated, they were so worried for their team-mate. The way they protected him was phenomenal. Now we know he’s okay just makes it even better.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t worse, I’m grateful he’s alive and stable, because his family must have went through everything.”
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