France head coach Didier Deschamps has lauded the man many consider to be Paul Pogba's replacement at Manchester United, admitting the player has taken him by surprise.
The reigning UEFA Nations League champions suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Denmark on Sunday night, with first-half goals by Kasper Dolberg and Andreas Skov Olsen in Copenhagen being enough to secure the Danes second place in Group A1.
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United playmaker Christian Eriksen was influential in his side's victory as he dictated play from the middle of the park.
The playmaker has also started every Premier League and UEFA Europa League match for Erik ten Hag's Red Devils after joining as a free agent following a successful six-month spell at Brentford, which came a few months after the cardiac arrest he suffered at the UEFA European Championship last year.
Prior to the match between the Danes and the world champions, the 30-year-old was hailed by Deschamps for his impressive displays since effectively replacing Les Bleus star Pogba – who left as a free agent himself in June following the expiry of his contract, later joining Juventus – at Old Trafford.
"There is an attacking player who even surprised me, and not just because of what had happened that could have been dramatic for him, and obviously it's Christian Eriksen," the French tactician said, according to the Daily Mirror.
"But the ability that he shows with his club in the position he plays, because he has always been someone who has a remarkable technical ability.
"But to play so frequently for his club in the midfield, to see the volume of games he plays, this ability even to recover is impressive.
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"And he has always had the ability to score goals, to make other players score – he has always had that."
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