Christian Eriksen exclusive!

bundesliga.com: Welcome to the Bundesliga. How were your first couple of days in Germany, especially in Wolfsburg and at the club?

Christian Eriksen: “It’s been a really quiet, but nice and warm welcome to the club. I think the timing of coming to the club just before the 80th birthday was also a big thing, with seeing the stadium and training with the fans the day before. It was great to see how much they live football and how the club is so alive in the city.” 

Watch: Harry Kane expresses Eriksen surprise 

bundesliga.com: What are your first impressions of the Bundesliga, the fans, and that incredible party with supporters in the stadium to celebrate Wolfsburg’s 80th anniversary?

Eriksen “It was beautiful, and it was nice to see from the bench. From watching German football on TV and playing a few games here in the UEFA Champions League, there has always been a full crowd and a good atmosphere with all the signs and flags. Obviously, this gives you a nice feeling on the pitch.”

bundesliga.com: How did the move to Wolfsburg come about? 

Eriksen: “It came about with a few phone calls from Peter Christiansen to my agent and the other way around. Afterwards, I had a conversation with Sebastian Schindzielorz and the manager about how they see me and the club. It felt right at the time and to be able to play here was nice. It gave me a good feeling and something that would be fun to try.”

bundesliga.com: There are a lot of Danish players at Wolfsburg. How helpful is that? Have you already gone out for dinner?

 Eriksen: “No, I haven’t had the invite yet for dinner. Maybe they can’t cook and that’s why they don’t want to invite me around! Obviously, it had nothing to do with the decision, and it doesn’t matter how many Danish people there are because I always try to fit in, but when you are at the club, you do hang out more with the Danish guys because it’s easier to fall into this group. The guys know all the shortcuts, and they know what to do and what not to do, so in that sense it speeds up the process a bit.”

bundesliga.com: You have experienced many dressing rooms during your career. How can you positively influence a team’s dynamic?

Eriksen: “I think that's something we will see on the pitch because obviously I'm here as a footballer to try to help the team on the pitch. Beyond that, I'll get to know the people first and get to know them as a person, and also as players and how they like to play and not play in the game.

"You have to learn all that stuff in the first few weeks and months, but I think they'll see me as a guy who they can always give the ball to, and I will try to find a solution, and they can hopefully work around that.”

bundesliga.com: You were born on Valentines Day 1992, in Middelfart Denmark. How did it all start as a young boy with your football career?

Eriksen: “It started early. My neighbour was three years older than me and is still one of my best friends to this day. I started playing football with him when he was six and I was just turning three. It started at the local football club in Middelfart and obviously just kept going until I was 13 when I moved to a bigger club in Odense.

"I found myself there and then I made another step when I was 16 to Ajax. I tried a lot at a young age, but I think it was just the joy of football that started it all, and just being around friends. At the time I had my dad as a coach, so there was always someone to play with and obviously I was just playing a lot of football.”

Watch: Eriksen's first interview as a Wolfsburg player

bundesliga.com:  Who were the people who supported or influenced you the most at the beginning of your career, and how important are they?

Eriksen: “My father was the coach, but my mum and my sister were always involved in the football and were trying to plan around being there for the games and trying to support as much as they could. Obviously, it helps when your parents want to see you and help you.

"It’s ultimately up to you, but it does make it a lot easier. They never pushed me into something and although they never said that I don’t have to do it if I don’t want to, I never thought of not wanting to do it. It was never a thought in my mind that I was going to stop, but there have been some tough times, which everyone has to go through, and it’s nice to have my family there.”

bundesliga.com: You went on to have a fantastic career at some big clubs. How do you assess your success and what does it mean to you?

Eriksen: “It makes me smile when I see the list and it’s nice now because I have kids. My son tells me I’m not very good, but I just tell him to wait and see. It’s a nice feeling that I've achieved a lot and I'm obviously not done yet. Looking at my CV, there have been some special times.”

bundesliga.com: At 33, you have the majority of your career as a player behind you. Thomas Müller said recently that he was addicted to the next adrenaline rush, and that he would miss that the most. Could you describe, with examples, which aspects of your job you love the most and what might be disadvantages?

Eriksen: “He's right about the adrenaline. There's that competitiveness going into a training session or a game and it’s nice to have that feeling of knowing you've done your best or you had a good time, or it was tough, but you enjoyed it at the same time.

"I've heard from people that have retired that this is something you might miss. You miss the tension of playing the games and being focused on the pitch and being with the team at the same time. It’s a nice feeling to be able to play in a stadium full of fans watching you. It couldn’t be any better.”

bundesliga.com: At Tottenham you were Harry Kane’s teammate. What's he like and what kind of an incredible player is he?

 Eriksen: “He broke through at Spurs when I was playing there. We did shooting practice together in training before he really broke through and after he played a few games, he never really looked back in terms of scoring goals and helping the team.

"I still speak to Harry sometimes and he's still a good friend, but obviously we have our football careers, so we don’t see each other that often. He's scored a few goals since coming to Germany, which I'm really happy about and I'm pleased for him.”

Watch: Harry Kane - 20 clubs, 20 goals

bundesliga.com: What are your goals with Wolfsburg?

Eriksen: “First of all, I'm really happy to be here. I'm really excited to see where I can help and to see how the team can compete this season and how far we can go. I think it's been a good start to the season from the games we have played already, so hopefully we can take the next step to play towards the top of the league.

"We know that it ' going to be a lot of hard work and a lot of tough games in between. It has been a nice start at my new club.”

bundesliga.com: What are your expectations for the upcoming game against Dortmund and maybe your first minutes on the pitch?

Eriksen: “The minutes are up to the manager because he picks the team and the players. Hopefully I'll be involved in some way, and I'll be able to play or support the team in whatever is needed. It'll be fun to play at Dortmund’s stadium because there have always been some fun games playing there, so I'm really looking forward to it.”

bundesliga.com: It’s been a while since Wolfsburg have won any silverware. How would you define success here?

Eriksen: “As a club, Wolfsburg is a big name and it has a big tradition. There have been ups and downs for the last few seasons, but hopefully with everyone here and myself included, we will try to stabilise that a bit and have a successful year.

"We'll see how far that can take us, but it'll be a ride that will go up and down with the new manager. I'm looking forward to the challenge."

bundesliga.com: Your last club Manchester United had some highs and lows while you were there. How do you reflect on that time?

 Eriksen: “Personally, I had a great time being at United. When I came back to football with Brentford, getting the chance to play against United was a massive thing. I also think I proved myself as a footballer at United. I had a really great time, and my family loved it there, and I'm sure we still have a lot of friends from our time there.

"I had a good time at the club, but it was a strange time because there was a lot of stuff going on at United. The focus and the perception of the club from the outside world is a bit different sometimes to how it really is. There are some lovely people at the club who are really working hard and trying their best, but it does not always go your way.”

bundesliga.com: If you were the coach of an ultimate 5-a-side team of players you have played with, who would be in it?

Eriksen: “I feel like every time I get asked this question I pick new players, so I'll have to pick new players again now. In my mind, a club always comes up and then you try to pick the best players. In goal, we’ll go for David de Gea. As a defender, we'll go for Daniel Agger.

"We will have an attacking team with only one midfielder, Mousa Dembélé. He never lost the ball, which is why he is good in 5-a-side. As for the striker, if you've played with Cristiano then you probably have to put him in at some point, so I'll put him in this time. I will have Harry Kane as the striker in a 1-1-2 formation.” 

 bundesliga.com: You have played an incredible 142 times for the Danish national team. How much are you looking forward to the World Cup in 2026?

Eriksen: “It will be very special. First, we have to qualify, and I also have to be called up to the national team because I didn’t go last time. I'm really looking forward to the World Cup because there are not that many, and each one is very special.

"When you are there, you want to be seen, and you want to be the best you can be and try to help your country as much as you can. Playing in a World Cup for a country like Denmark is a big thing.”