Denmark captain Simon Kjaer, who protected his teammate Christian Eriksen, retires from football

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Former Denmark captain Simon Kjaer formally retired from soccer on Monday despite offers to continue playing since leaving AC Milan as a free agent last year.

Kjaer is perhaps best remembered as the captain who came to Christian Eriksen’s aid and then led his teammates to shield him from view on the pitch after the star playmaker collapsed due to cardiac arrest during a Championship match. of Europe in June 2021. Kjaer also consoled Eriksen’s teammate on the pitch.

Kjaer, along with the Denmark team and medical staff, later won the FIFA Fair Play Award for their actions in Copenhagen.

Eriksen resumed his career, with Denmark and now Manchester United, and only his record of 140 appearances is ahead of Kjaer’s 132 in national team history.

Kjaer, 35, told Danish broadcaster TV2 that he had the opportunity to sign for Champions League clubs but did not receive the “once in a lifetime” offer to continue his career.

A tough central defender, Kjaer started out for Danish club Midtjylland and went on to play in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Turkey. He won a Serie A title with Milan in 2022.

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