CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN says he did not believe it was him that had ‘died on the pitch for five minutes’ after being revived.
The Danish international suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland last summer.
He died for five minutes before being revived.
And Eriksen admits his first thought on regaining consciousness was that he had broken his back.
He is now set to resume his career with Brentford after a miracle recovery.
And, speaking for the first time about his terrifying collapse, he told the BBC: “I can remember everything apart from the five minutes.
“Otherwise I remember everything – the throw-in, the ball hitting my knee and then I don’t know what happened after.
“Then I woke up with people around me and felt pressure on my chest, trying to get my breathing back and didn’t really understand what was going on.
Most read in Sport
“I had no idea what happened. Then it goes through my head: ‘Did something happen with my legs, did I break my back?’
“Then, in the ambulance I heard someone ask how long was I out for and someone said: ‘Five minutes’ and that was the first time I had heard I was gone.
“I was gone from this world for five minutes until they got my heartbeat back.
“But I still didn’t believe it was me.”
Eriksen, 29, has since been given the all clear after being fitted with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator, a type of pacemaker.
He has joined the Bees on a six-month deal after his release by Inter Milan – as players fitted with an ICD cannot compete in Serie A.
And he insists he can return to the same level he was playing at before his heart attack.
He added: “I was lucky with people around me acting so quickly. I was really grateful the doctors, they got me back as quickly as they did. I am 100 per cent grateful for that.
“The first thing is to show gratitude, to the people around me, the team-mates, the doctors on the pitch, the team doctors and paramedics and then at the hospital.
“Then all the messages from people to show support for me and what my family have been through.
“I am very lucky and have told them face to face. I am very happy they did what they did, otherwise I would not be here.
“I will be the first with an ICD playing in the Premier League. The technology is incredible.
“I am lucky I am able to come back, but I don’t see any risk. I have an ICD, if anything would happen then I am safe.
“l don’t have any disability, I won’t change my style of play.
“I have had the time to be disciplined for the last six months, so now maybe I am in a better condition than before, just the football is missing.
“I feel like me, so don’t see a reason why I can’t get back to the same level.”
Eriksen also reveals he has watched replays of his shocking collapse on June 12, when he received CPR and 15 minutes of treatment before being carried off on a stretcher to hospital.
He added: “I have seen it, yeah. It still is weird to watch.
“I will be looking at it and then I’m like: ‘No, I’m here.’
“Initially, I didn’t think about playing again because I wanted to get all the tests done and talk with all the doctors.
“But they said: ‘You have an ICD but, otherwise, nothing has changed.
“You can continue a normal life and there is no limit to what you want to do.”
Asked if it will feel like a miracle to return, he added: “Definitely.
“It will get more and more obvious the closer it gets to being in a real game – being in a stadium, being in a game, you get all the emotion and adrenaline from that.”
Read our Transfer News Live blog for the very latest rumours, gossip and done deals