Tottenham playmaker is the class of Denmark

Every time Christian Eriksen scores a goal for Tottenham, one can’t help but wonder if the 25-year-old deserves something closer to a starring role.

Make no mistake, Eriksen is a central cog in Tottenham’s gears. It is hard to imagine where Mauricio Pochettino’s project would be without the Dane in the starting XI.

Still, if we’re going by headlines, plaudits and awards, Eriksen falls far short of some of his teammates. More eyes watch for what Harry Kane or Dele Alli will do next on the pitch, a tendency that sometimes makes Eriksen difficult to fully appreciate.

There is no such confusion in the Denmark national team though, where Eriksen spends his international breaks. De Rød-Hvide know what they have in their number 10, and as such he serves a much more crucial role than he does at Tottenham.

Part of this dependency comes from the fact that this generation of Denmark players aren’t exactly blessed with superstar talent. By default, Eriksen is the center of the action both on and off the pitch for Denmark.

Indeed, if Denmark qualify for the World Cup in Russia next summer, it will be down to the Tottenham man’s efforts. Eriksen has been involved in 11 of the 19 total goals Denmark has scored since the qualifying campaign began in 2016.

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The Dane contributes his fair share of goals and assists for Tottenham, but they are not necessarily the task assigned to him. With the likes of Kane, Alli and Heung-min Son available, Spurs have little need for another prolific goalscorer.

What they do need, though, is someone to stitch together midfield and attack. It’s in that role where Eriksen really thrives for Spurs. While he still manages plenty of shots per game — he’s second only to Kane in that metric at the club — his responsibilities usually put him far away from areas where he can consistently be effective.

He still manages to dazzle, whether it be by his remarkable ability to hover between the the lines of the opposition’s defense, or his ability to pick out a runner ahead of him with a clever chipped pass or precisely weighted throughball. In most matches, Spurs are marching by the beat of Eriksen’s drum.

Compared to what he does for Denmark, though, Eriksen’s role at Spurs feels auxiliary. Would he not be better served — and more highly regarded — if he were featuring for a side that built itself around him in the same way Denmark do?

Perhaps — but it would be a mixed blessing. Any team that would put Eriksen on a pedestal is probably not in a position to actually win anything.

Perhaps, like his former teammate at Spurs Gylfi Sigurdsson, he could become a hero for a side the size and status of Swansea. As flattering as that might be, it won’t put him in competition for anything meaningful beyond avoiding relegation or maybe qualifying for Europe.

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While the quality and quantity of talent at a club like Spurs basically demotes Eriksen to a supporting role, it also puts him in line much more glory. It might be early yet, but Tottenham look like they have got another title fight in them. Eriksen might not lead the charge for such an honor, but he will be a vital piece of a much larger effort to get there.