Christian Eriksen is a footballer. He’s 29, obviously fit, totally wonderful at football (doh) and played for Spurs. He was the ‘odd one’ bought when we squandered the rest of the 100 million Euros we received for selling Gareth Bale. He was the ‘cheapy’. But proved, by miles and miles, to be the best, the most talented, the most enduring of an otherwise pretty ragged bunch of bad buys. He left us a year ago to play for Inter Milan.

And yesterday, whilst playing as captain of Denmark in Copenhagen, his heart stopped on the field. He collapsed. Basically, he ‘died’. But by the quick action of the emergency protocols used at all matches, they managed to bring him back to life. Thank God. And for that, we must thank Spurs. Because as God is a Spurs supporter and all Spurs supporters love Christian Eriksen, even after he left.

One of the first ‘tweets’ that went out was from Fabrice Muamba, who wrote “Please God”. Because it happened to him. He was 23 years old and playing for Bolton, at Spurs, when he suffered a massive heart attack. Fortunately it was at Spurs.

Because in 2012 at ‘old’ White Hart Lane, there were 34,000 people there. Of whom, at least 20,000 would be Jews. And of every 20,000 Jews, anywhere in the world, there will ALWAYS be 5,000 lawyers, 5,000 accountants and 5,000 doctors. It’s the 11th commandment. As it is written. Amen. So of those doctors, there are a full array of specialties covered. And one of the cardiologists (there were 87 present at senior registrar level or above, that day), one rushed onto the pitch to give CPR, which, by the time the ambulances arrived, had basically saved Fabrice’s life as his heart stopped for 78 minutes.

Muamba returned to Spurs a few years ago, no longer a player, but just for a visit. And received the biggest standing ovation ever. Just for being alive in the place where he so nearly died. I cried. He cried. Everyone fucking cried.

And that, those instances of absolute nightmare horror, is when football truly becomes ‘the beautiful game’ it so rarely is the rest of the time. It’s when the fans forget their stupid, tribal loyalties and banner waving and racist obscenities and stupid thuggishness and they become just ‘people’. Who care about other people, regardless of race, colour, nationality or football club affiliation. In those horrible tragic moments there are only good, positive, loving thoughts for someone suffering as they hope and pray they never have to suffer themselves. It is an outpouring of empathy.

As there was yesterday, beautifully demonstrated by the players and fans of Denmark and Finland (they are two different countries, even though they all look and sound the same).

Get well Christian and hopefully grace the game once more with your absolute class and elegance. Our thoughts are with you.

A xxxx