Thomas Frank feels Christian Eriksen link shows how far Brentford have come

Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough – FA Cup – Third Round – Replay – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
(Image credit: Tim Goode)

Thomas Frank believes Brentford being linked with a player of Christian Eriksen’s calibre shows just how far the club have come.

The Bees have reportedly offered Eriksen a chance to return to professional football following his cardiac arrest on the pitch at Euro 2020 last summer.

However, head coach Frank is still playing down their interest in the 29-year-old former Tottenham midfielder.

He said: “There’s no further developments in any of the rumours about transfers to Brentford. I will speak about transfers when they happen.

“But yes, definitely. With the steps we have taken, some are natural, we are in the Premier League and more attractive.

“The fans and everyone should be pleased we get linked with good players.”

Eriksen would surely have taken one of the three gilt-edged chances that fellow Danish midfielder Mathias Jensen passed up in the 3-1 defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday night.

Frank is not a manager to dwell on a setback but, speaking less than 24 hours afterwards, the affable Dane admitted he had not got over the result after claiming they “destroyed” United in the first half.

“For various reasons that hit me harder and in elite sport it’s about controlling your emotions,” he said.

“I’m an emotional guy and I show them sometimes – for me I think it was the first time this season that that loss was harder to take. Unfair, that was the feeling I had in my body because we performed so well.

“The players gave everything. To play with that mentality and intensity throughout the game, and what is very big for me is we outran Man United, and of course we know we need to do that because we are not as talented as Man United.

“So to play with that mentality is demanding and when you don’t get the rewards it is frustrating.

“But we always say 24 hours – so I have five more hours to be disappointed.”

Brentford host Wolves on Saturday with Frank calling for the same energy levels.

“That was a 10/10 first half,” he added. “Can we keep this intensity, this mentality?

“If we can do that for 90 minutes, play the Brentford way, we will be fine and we will try to do that on Saturday.”

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