How will Christian Eriksen’s legacy at Tottenham be remembered?

After almost seven full seasons with the club, Christian Eriksen is about to embark on a new chapter of his career, but how will the Dane be remembered in north London? 

A fresh-faced 20-year-old joined from Ajax on Aug. 30, 2013 for £11 million. And what a revelation the Dane turned out to be. He bagged seven goals and added eight assists in his first 25 starts with club in 2013-14. Unlike many foreign players, Eriksen adapted to the Premier League like a duck on water, seamlessly taking in stride the demands of England’s top division.

Ignoring for a moment his controversial, contentious and imminent departure, Eriksen’s offensive contribution never, aside from the current campaign, waned. The dynamic Dane went about his business with a humble, quiet confidence. His nonchalant demeanour was a breath of fresh air. Even as he ascended up the ranks to become one of the world’s most creative central midfielders, the unassuming Dane never got too big for his boots. Devoid of the hubris we so often see in players of his worth and stature, Eriksen became highly respected by colleagues and supporters alike.

In 2016-17, his best season with Spurs, Eriksen scored eight goals while adding 15 assists in 36 matches. That season coincided unsurprisingly with Tottenham’s second place finish in the league. The demure Dane was a large part of the club’s success, not only that season but each of the last four campaigns in which Spurs secured a top four berth.

He had the capacity to change a match in an instant. With one sweet strike of the football, the complexion of a match turned. Unfortunately for Tottenham and Eriksen, he also has the tendency of underperforming in big matches, his persona afflicted with disconcerting inconsistency.

And that inconsistency started to plague Eriksen more as time transpired. It became a regular part of his makeup, with the Dane disappearing from proceedings for weeks on end. Inspiration and motivation started to seep out of his play, a discernible trend that didn’t go unnoticed by supporters.

Of all his individual mistakes, the most glaring, egregious of them all came off the pitch, when Eriksen last year conveyed to the public his desire to leave the club. His situation at the club, after the perplexing public outcry, deteriorated rapidly. Performances starkly declined and his stock suffered worse than the Dow Jones during the financial crash of 2008.

Once valued at £100 million, Eriksen is expected to leave early next week for about £17 million. While the mighty has fallen, Spurs supporters should never forget just how much he contributed to the club over the years.

He was an ambassador, an unheralded leader and somebody the club turned to for decisive special moments. Those special moments became more rare but what perturbed Spurs supporters most was his overt lack of care and effort, an apathetic side previously unknown.

While his exodus is best for all parties involved, Eriksen will go down as one of Tottenham’s most creative, imaginative and skilled central midfielders in club history. If only it had ended differently in north London for the alienated Dane.