AC Milan are considering making Kjaer captain after he saved Eriksen's life

AC Milan are considering making Simon Kjaer captain after he helped save Christian Eriksen's life.

Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark's Euro 2020 game with Finland and Kjaer played a vital role in helping his team-mate. The defender was the first to attend to Eriksen and made sure he did not swallow his tongue while he lay unconscious and even gave him CPR before the medics arrived.

Kjaer then instructed his team-mates to form a barrier around Eriksen so he could have as much privacy as possible while receiving treatment.

The defender also comforted Eriksen's wife, Sabrina Kvist, who was distraught as the scenes unfolded.

He then made sure that all of his team-mates on the field escorted Eriksen to the changing rooms while he was motionless on a stretcher with an oxygen mask attached to his nose.

After 13 minutes of CPR, the Inter Milan midfielder was taken to hospital in a stable condition, where he remains.

Kjaer's actions were vital in helping save Eriksen's life and his show of leadership has not gone unnoticed by his club team.

The current AC Milan captain, Alessio Romagnoli, is no longer a regular starter and could leave this summer, while vice-captain Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to join PSG following the end of his contract.

Kjaer has become an important and reliable player for Milan and many fans want him to be given the armband when he returns from the Euros.

According to Sportmediaset, technical director Paolo Maldini is in favour of the move.

Leading NHS cardiologist Dr Scott Murray has told Sportsmail that Kjaer's heroics were the right thing to do and that Eriksen was 'lucky' to have such a good support around him.

He told MailOnline: 'We're just lucky that the players on the pitch knew what to do, to put him in a safe position and make sure he wasn't choking and alert the medical team.'

Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel also praised Kjaer's response to Eriksen's collapse during a press conference on Monday.

'I am incredibly proud to have him as captain,' Schmeichel said of Kjaer, who visited Eriksen in hospital along with the goalkeeper on Sunday.

'It does not surprise me that he did as he did. He has an incredibly sensitive and human side of him. Simon and Christian spend a lot of time together in Milan as they live close to each other.

'We did not make any decisions. We did, as we did. I think it's a very natural thing.

'Simon... I do not know what to say. He is not only an exceptional person.'

In a short statement to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday, Eriksen confirmed that he is feeling better and thanked everyone who helped save his life.

He said: 'Thank you, I won't give up. I feel better now - but I want to understand what's happened.

'I want to say thank you all for what you did for me.'

Eriksen remains in hospital in Copenhagen with his wife Sabrina and parents, father Thomas and mother Dorthe at his bedside.

'Now he just has to rest, with him are his wife and parents,' Eriksen's agent said.

'He will remain under observation. But in any case he wants to cheer on his team-mates against Belgium.'

In a video call from Eriksen to the team, Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand said the 29-year-old reassured the group that he was 'more concerned' about them.

Hjulmand said: 'Christian was concerned about us and his family. He said, "I don't remember much, I'm more concerned about how you guys are doing. I think you are feeling worse than I am. I feel as if I'm about to go training now, boys".

'That's typical Christian. He's a hell of a player, but what a person he is as well.

'He would like us to play. It was good to see him smile and we will try to get ourselves together and play for Christian.

'We will try to establish normality as much as possible. Maybe, for some, the time is too short to play football again, but maybe we can use it as a force to get together.'

Denmark’s team doctor Morten Boesen confirmed on Sunday: 'He was gone.

'We did cardiac resuscitation, it was cardiac arrest. How close were we? I don't know. We got him back after one defib so that's quite fast. We don't have an explanation why it happened.'