Christian Eriksen was the star of Denmark’s World Cup qualifying campaign and he is likely to be their leading light at this summer’s finals as well.

The Tottenham Hotspur ace scored an unprecedented 11 goals during qualifying, including a hat-trick as the Danes sealed their World Cup place with a 5-1 hammering of the Republic of Ireland in their qualification play-off.

However, it was not just during that qualifying campaign that Eriksen has shone for his country, as his record of 21 goals in 75 appearances shows.

The 26-year-old was regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Europe as a teenager and this was further emphasised when, at the age of 18, he became the youngest player selected for the 2010 World Cup.

Eriksen will head into this summer’s World Cup as a seasoned campaigner – despite his still relatively young age – and he has already proved his credentials on the grand stage, as he has been starring for Spurs in the Champions League throughout this season.

The former Ajax man will now be hoping to spearhead Denmark as they bid to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time since 2002.

First up for Eriksen and Denmark will be arguably a must-win match against Peru on June 16 – particularly as Group C also contains France and Australia.

Eriksen’s link between midfield and attack is likely to be crucial, particularly given the lack of goals within the Denmark squad, as Nicklas Bendtner is the only other player within the current team to have netted more than eight international goals.

Denmark are outsiders to challenge for overall glory at the finals, but they are priced at 5.50 to qualify for the knockout stages by finishing top of Group C.

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