Man Utd star blasted for ‘choosing not to play football’ after failed summer move

Eriksen was strongly linked with a move away (Picture: Getty Images)

Former Premier League star Thomas Gravesen has blasted Manchester United midfielder Christian over his lack of ambition after failing to secure a summer move away from Old Trafford.

Eriksen became one of the first signings of the Erik ten Hag era in Manchester, arriving as a free agent in the summer of 2022. The Dane had spent the previous six months at Brentford where he got his career back on track after suffering a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.

Eriksen featured prominently during his first season at the club despite missing three months of action with an ankle injury.

The 32-year-old spent much of the second-half of last season on the bench however, with reports this summer suggesting United would listen to offers for his services.

Eriksen was linked with moves to Anderlecht and Real Betis in addition to a return to Ajax. But with United competing in an extended Europa League alongside domestic competitions this season, he feels there will be opportunities to impress.

‘Manchester United will play every third day, so he will still be important for Manchester United,’ his agent Martin Schoots said.

Another Dane in Gravesen however is not impressed with Eriksen’s decision. The former Celtic, Everton and Real Madrid enforcer who fumed with Eriksen’s decision to not find a club offering him more minutes.

Eriksen should not be playing for Denmark, says Gravesen (Picture: Getty Images)

‘That is my big, big question mark. Again, he has gone through a transfer window where he had the opportunity to play football, but where he simply chose to say no,’ Gravesen told Viaplay.

‘I get so upset because I have such high expectations of him, but I lack a level of ambition from Christian Eriksen.

‘I don’t understand what is going on, it looks like he’s now been told he’s going to get fewer games this year.

‘It is therefore a mystery to me that he keeps saying “I feel good and it’s great to be here”. Well, don’t you want to play football?’

Eriksen, who has managed four minutes of football this season off the bench against Liverpool, is in the Denmark squad for Nations League games against Switzerland and Serbia with Gravesen adamant he should not be considered unless he is playing regularly for his club.

‘Why do you get selected for the national team when you don’t play football? Now what is that? I can accept one time, but now he is going to sit a whole season without playing football. You cannot take out a player who does not play football.

‘This is really a player that the Danish national team needs. A player that the Danish national team needs in top form, and now he sits with four minutes in his legs against Liverpool.’