Christian Eriksen slams Tottenham and claims he was ‘the black sheep who got the blame for being bad guy’
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN claims he was “the black sheep” that was labelled a “bad guy” at Tottenham after telling them he wanted to leave.
The 27-year-old Danish attacker ended his six-and-a-half-year spell in North London last month as he headed to Inter Milan for £17million.
After losing to Liverpool in last season’s Champions League final, the playmaker handed in a transfer request as he entered the final year of his contract.
That led to some fans turning on him, and despite Jose Mourinho’s efforts to convince him to stay, the ex-Ajax ace finally secured his exit a fortnight ago.
Now in an interview with , he has explained how his desire to leave made him feel like an outcast despite “being honest” with Spurs.
Eriksen said: “If you have a short contract, you will be the black sheep.
“I was very honest. I felt I had to be honest. I didn’t want to hide like a lot of players do.
“Everyone is different. I was honest. I wanted to say it out loud.”
He continued: “I did get the blame for a lot of stuff, for being the bad guy.
“I read I was the bad person in the changing room, that ever since I said I wanted to leave, it was no good me being there.
“To be honest, over the last few years, if anything came up, any player would think about leaving but I was the guy who said it publicly.”
Mourinho’s arrival in the Tottenham dug-out led to more public comments from the new manager over Eriksen’s future, placing him further under the microscope.
SPURS NEWS LIVE: Follow all the latest news on Tottenham
LATEST TOTTENHAM NEWS
But the star, who also admitted to holding talks with Manchester United over a transfer, insists that did not change anything.
He added: “No. When the window is not open, there can only be talk. There cannot be anything concrete.
“I think Mourinho did well. He could have said 'he wants to leave, so he is not going to play any more'. He didn't do that.
“After I told him where my feelings were and what I would like to do, he told me just to be happy and if I was needed I would play.
“I was needed in a few games where I did make a difference. It was more as an extra rather than in the starting XI of course.”