Eriksen: "I wanted a new challenge, I'm pleased to be here"

MILAN – “I have received a very warm welcome. Inter is like a family and the first impressions have been great.” Christian Eriksen spoke to Sky Sports about his feelings after arriving in Milan: “I was approached by many clubs, but Inter’s offer was concrete and promising, and I could easily see myself here, so it was easy to say yes. I came to win a trophy, the last time I lifted one was at Ajax, and there is a better chance of winning here than where I was before.”

On the passion of the Inter fans: “I vividly remember the atmosphere that the Nerazzurri fans can create, they make themselves heard and I already experienced that in last year’s UEFA Champions League: when Vecino scored to make it 2-1 the whole stadium erupted. The #DerbyMilano is upon us and I can’t wait to play in it, I’ve heard a lot about it but experiencing it at the stadium will certainly be a different experience. It’s an intense and important game, it’ll be fun.”

On his relationship with Antonio Conte: “I am happy that the Coach holds me in high regard and that he’s pleased with my choice to come here. It is special for me to be at Inter and there's been a lot of talk, but now I’m only focused on what I need to do on the pitch. For me, coming here is a win-win: I wanted a new challenge and I’m extremely happy to have the chance to wear the Nerazzurri shirt.”

Speaking about his milestones and his ball-striking talent: “I spent a lot of time as a kid trying to find my own way of striking free kicks. Sometimes I could do it in training but not in the actual game, but at Tottenham it went well (since his arrival in London, no Premier League player has scored more free kicks than Eriksen, ed.). Do I have any idols? When I was a kid I followed Totti thanks to video games, but when I started playing I watched others less. Growing up I watched Michael Laudrup in particular, he is one of the best Danish players of all time.” Finally, having been compared to Wesley Sneijder, the Nerazzurri’s number 24 commented on their likeness: “I think it’s hard to make comparisons. We both played for Ajax, and we came from the same football school, but I think we have different characteristics. It would definitely be nice to follow in his footsteps because he won everything with Inter.”