Christian Eriksen collapse: Defibrillators are 'vital' in grassroots football says Binfield FC chairman

That's the message from Binfield FC and many other football clubs following Christian Eriksen's collapsing on the match during the Euros 2020 match earlier this month.

Football fans and people watching from home stood still as the Denmark midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch. Medical staff performed life-saving CPR on him and Erisken came back to life.

The footballer's collapse triggered Astley Mulholland, a non-league footballer for Trafford FC, to campaign for all clubs from the highest level to the lowest to have access to defibrillators.

Defibrillators should be compulsory at every sporting ground professional and non professional
They are the real deal and can save numerous lives...🙏🏽❤️

— astley mulholland (@astley24) June 12, 2021

Astley lost his brother to a cardiac arrest whilst he was playing 5-a-side football.

• READ THIS: Map shows how many defibrillators are available for public use in Berkshire

• READ THIS: Where is the closest defibrillator to me in Berkshire?

Local football teams including Binfield Football Club has shared the message of how important CPR is.

Luckily, the club has access to a defibrillator in case a player goes into cardiac arrest.

Chairman of the club Bob Bacon said: "I think it is vital that all sporting clubs and associations have one (or even two) and have volunteers made aware of where it is and how they can be used.

"We have a defibrillator at the club and several people know how to use it. To be honest, the instruction to use them is really very good."

Despite never needing to use a defibrillator, Mr Bacon went onto explain that the club's coaches also know how to conduct CPR.

ALSO READ: Five Bracknell schools on list mentioned in sexual harassment and assault testimonies

Adding: "All of our coaches must take a first aid course and are fully aware of how to apply cardiac resuscitation."

Defibrillators are also available for public use in Bracknell in the event of a medical emergency.

HeartSafe has an interactive AED map you can use to find out where the public access and limited access defibrillators are located across Berkshire.

To find out where your nearest defibrillator is - click here.

What should I do in the event of a cardiac arrest?

The British Heart Foundation advises taking the following steps:

- Call 999

- Start CPR

- Ask someone to bring a defibrillator if there’s one nearby

- Turn on the defibrillator and follow its instructions.