EXCLUSIVE: Look out, Sir Alex... Eriksen is back! Ajax's heir to Laudrup knows England

By Alex Kay
Last updated at 11:02 PM on 15th February 2012

When you are 20 years old and the best hope your side have of beating the mighty Manchester United, it helps to have some experience of English football.
Luckily for Ajax's attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, he heads into their Europa League clash having endured a traditional English baptism of fire.
'I went to Chelsea twice when I was 14 and 15,' says the mild-mannered Dane when we meet at the club's training ground. 'I was at Danish club Odense at the time and came across with a friend to Cobham. We played against West Ham youth away and the year after we played Millwall away.
Bright future: Eriksen has drawn attention from some of Europe's top clubs
Bright future: Eriksen has drawn attention from some of Europe's top clubs

'It was a bit of a shock playing against Millwall. I knew the reputation of English football was tough but my first thoughts when we started were, "Wow, this is different to Denmark". They kicked a little more and made crazy tackles but I wasn't injured when I returned to Denmark so I guess I did ok.'
Eriksen did 'ok' at the trials, too, but, despite interest from Jose Mourinho, the player decided England was not for him just yet and joined Ajax's brilliant youth academy.
Big challenge ahead: Eriksen in training
In action: Eriksen
In action: Eriksen in training this week (left) and wearing the Ajax shirt
There he has had the chance to play first-team football and develop into one of the most exciting midfielders in the world - he was the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup.
A dazzling performance in a friendly against England a year ago means Premier League scouts are circling, with Manchester United and Liverpool joining Chelsea, AC Milan and Bayern Munich battling to prise him away from Amsterdam.
'I always thought it would be better to go to Holland first, especially because of the position I play and the football I wanted to play,' says Eriksen, who looks so skinny it is hard to believe he is a footballer.
'Ajax have a tradition of good football and play 4-3-3, which suits me. They also spend lots of money on youth players with the aim of putting them in the first team.
'Top sides in England have to get into the Champions League every year so they are not going to buy a 17-year-old and put him straight in the first team. They buy players who can play now. You might not get a game until you are 21. So why should you go there?'
Welcome to my world: Eriksen is happy learning his trade at Ajax
Welcome to my world: Eriksen is happy learning his trade at Ajax
It is a mature and practical attitude but then, even with the hype surrounding him, Eriksen has yet to develop a hint of arrogance. He is friendly from the off, has spiked up his hair especially for the pictures and laughs at suggestions he has had any say in the colour of his garish new lilac boots.
'I'm not Ronaldo, so my sponsors pick the colour,' he says laughing.
He was laughing for a while in Copenhagen a year ago, too, when he put in a superb performance against England, setting up a goal for Daniel Agger before Fabio Capello's side fought back to win 2-1.
'I liked playing against England because you had a 4-4-2 and there was space for me to go into between the defence and midfield. It was a big game for us, special. Maybe for England it wasn't. I had fun and decided to keep my own shirt as a memory of playing well rather than swapping.'
Fond memories: The young Dane playing in England as a teenager
Fond memories: The young Dane playing in England as a teenager
Part of the reason Eriksen seems so grounded is probably that he did not grow up craving the life of a professional footballer. He barely watched football, instead spending hours outside in his home town of Middelfart practising the turns, close control and speed that make him so sought after.
'I played for the first time when I was three,' he says. 'My neighbour was six and I went to train with him. But I don't have many football memories from when I was young. I didn't really watch much on TV. I was outside playing all the time.
'I was still aware of Danish players who did well, like Peter Schmeichel for Manchester United in 1999, but I don't remember almost anything about the Treble because I was only seven.'
Flash: Eriksen's blue boots
Flash: Eriksen's blue boots
That's enough to make anyone feel old. He turned 20 two days ago and is too young to appreciate some of the talents he has at his disposal at Ajax on the coaching staff and the endless list of legends who have graced the club over the years.
'I work a lot with Frank de Boer (the head coach) and Dennis Bergkamp (his assistant). I've seen a lot of clips of Bergkamp playing for Arsenal on YouTube. In the beginning it was a shock seeing these big names, even though most of them played before my time. My dad couldn't believe it. Everywhere he turned was an idol.'
Hovering between midfield and attack, his style could be compared to Bergkamp's though it is a famous Dane - Michael Laudrup - with whom the comparison is more often made.
Eriksen says he'll have to score more goals to be compared to the great Dane and knows he will eventually have to leave Ajax to move up a level.
'You can learn so much from training with the top guys,' he says, careful to pick the right words so he doesn't offend a club who have been so good to him.
'You don't learn from playing against them. When it's time to leave Ajax, I'll try to go to a bigger team who do well in the Champions League every year and win trophies. But I'd make sure it was somewhere where I wouldn't just sit on the bench. Right now, my mind is only focused on Ajax.'
That means upsetting the odds and beating United over two legs, the first on Thursday night at a packed Amsterdam ArenA.
'When we were sitting watching the draw, we thought, "Oh no, that's the team we wanted to avoid". But now we're excited.'

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