Christian Eriksen's collapse on the pitch at EURO 2020 was one of the most harrowing sporting events of recent years.
On Saturday afternoon, he made his miraculous return to the football pitch, 257 days since his collapse in Copenhagen during the EUROs, as he came on as a substitute for Brentford during their home loss to Newcastle.
Christian Eriksen: Dane makes return to pitch for Brentford to standing ovation
The Dane suffered a cardiac arrest during his country's game with Finland in Copenhagen last June. Thanks to the quick action of the medics on the side of the pitch, he survived, and he was ultimately fitted with a heart-starting device known as an ICD.
Incredibly, he was discharged from hospital just five days after his collapse, and thoughts soon turned to whether the former Spurs man would ever play football again.
Contracted to Internazionale at the time of his collapse, Eriksen was no longer permitted to play football in Italy due to laws surrounding people fitted with heart devices. A return to the Premier League became the frontrunning option, and Eriksen ultimately decided to link up with Danish manager Thomas Frank at newcomers Brentford.
After a month of getting up to speed in training, Eriksen made his debut for the Bees on Saturday, and received a standing ovation from the Brentford fans as he made his bow as a substitute against Newcastle.
Eriksen was brought on as a sub for his national teammate Mathias Jensen to a standing ovation from the Brentford Community Stadium crowd.
In a curious twist, Jensen was the player who replaced Eriksen on the pitch when the fateful game with Finland resumed after a near two-hour delay.
It seems fitting that Eriksen made his return in a team which features three of his Danish teammates, and the man who replaced him during that EUROs opener last June.
The only regret for the 30-year-old will be that he could not help 10-man Brentford turn around a 2-0 deficit against Newcastle.
The return of Christian Eriksen is, nonetheless, the feel-good sporting story of the weekend, and a well-needed feel-good story at that. It's hard not to feel emotional seeing the Dane return to the pitch, and football fans the world over will wish him well in the coming months with Brentford.
SEE ALSO: Heung-Min Son Had A Lot Of Love For Matt Doherty After Irishman’s First Spurs Goal
