Earning a spot at the World Cup would be even sweeter than Tottenham’s win over Real Madrid for Danish star Christian Eriksen.
The Spurs playmaker, 25, was the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup but he and the rest of the Danish squad missed the tournament four years later.
Denmark face Ireland in Denmark in the second round of their qualification play-off tomorrow with their hopes of reaching Russia in the balance after the first leg ended 0-0 in Copenhagen.
If the Danes are to find their way past a disciplined Irish defence Eriksen will doubtless be crucial and the Tottenham star is ready to do his part to accomplish a feat that he believes would eclipse Spurs’ stunning 3-1 win over Madrid at Wembley last month.
“I think it would be,” Eriksen told reporters. “It would mean a lot for personally and the country overall. Getting your country to a World Cup is one of the biggest things you can do for your country.
“Every player wants to send their country to a World Cup. It is the biggest thing you can achieve. I will try to take my chances. I tried that here but the last pass wasn’t good enough.”
Eriksen struggled to make an impact in the first meeting between the two sides, completing a surprisingly meagre 36 passes as he was ably marshalled by a disciplined Irish side.
But Denmark’s star player is convinced that opportunities will come in the second leg at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, where there could be greater onus on the hosts to set the game’s tempo.
“I feel that we will have our chance in Dublin,” he said. “I’m really confident. We know it will be a tough game. It’s another massive stadium with their fans behind them. It’s about keeping the tempo for us and taking the chances we do get. It can take time.
“We feel confident. A goal for us away means a lot. We have to take the pressure.”
