Timeline of Christian Eriksen's Disastrous Year at Inter

One of the more prescient club announcement videos, following Christian Eriksen's transfer to Inter last January, warned that 'this dream is not for everyone'. Almost 12 months on and the club's admin got it a little too right.

As his first team opportunities continue to wane, Eriksen - with one goal and two assists in Serie A - has only shown brief glimpses of the beguiling form which made him one of Tottenham Hotspur's most crucial players over the past decade.

With this sorry union seemingly coming to a merciful end, as Inter's hierarchy hint at a move away, how have things unravelled so drastically during Eriksen's woeful year on the peninsula.

1. Big Build Up

Eriksen arrived at an Inter side in the midst of a genuine title tilt. The former Premier League star was billed as the man to give the Nerazzurri that final push for the Scudetto.

If his subsequent performances didn't deserve this build up, the finances surrounding his move certainly did. Inter coughed up €20m for a player who would have been free had they waited six months, making Eriksen the club's second-highest paid player (behind Romelu Lukaku) on a four-and-a-half year deal.

2. Not Trusted in Big Games

After this star billing, Eriksen made his Serie A debut from the start against Udinese in February. Inter's next three league matches were a trio of huge clashes against their rivals Milan and fellow title challengers Lazio and Juventus.

Yet, their pricey new arrival was a substitute for all three.

Manager Antonio Conte used the same three-man midfield of Marcelo Brozovic, Nicolo Barella and Matias Vecino for each match as Eriksen only game on after the game-deciding goals had been scored. The first sign that he wasn't perhaps at the top of Conte's pecking order.

3. Lives at Training Ground During Lockdown

As negotiations between Tottenham and Inter dragged on until the conclusion of the January transfer window, Eriksen hadn't found a home in Milan by the time the coronavirus pandemic halted football across the continent in March.

After his hotel closed, the 28-year-old opted against moving in with fellow former Premier League players Lukaku or Ashley Young and instead moved in to Inter's training ground alongside a smattering of the club staff, including the team chef.

Despite the proximity to the training pitches, Eriksen revealed he went seven weeks without touching a football.

Any player living abroad during the pandemic would have struggled with the unfamiliar surroundings in such extreme circumstances, but Eriksen was forced to wether the storm in shared surroundings not designed to be lived in.

4. False Dawn When Football Returned

Nevertheless, when Inter returned to Serie A action after the pandemic, there were faint whispers that Eriksen had turned a corner. For the first time in Serie A, Conte tweaked his 3-5-2 to a 3-4-1-2, starting Eriksen in his ideal position against Sampdoria, as the number ten behind Inter's two strikers.

In the opening ten minutes Eriksen combined with Lautaro Martinez then Lukaku for the opening goal of a 2-1 win. He wasn't even subbed off until the 78th minute.

5. Pity Appearances

However, after two forgetful displays in shaky performances against Sassuolo and Parma, Eriksen was scarcely afforded that freedom from the start again.

In fact, four of the Denmark international's final eight appearances of last season's Serie A campaign lasted six minutes or less. Conte only saw fit to send Eriksen on in stoppage time of their final two games against Napoli and Atalanta.

On the bright side, the 28-year-old did manage an impressive six touches across those two, almost humiliatingly brief outings.

6. Europa League Final Defeat

In a shocking turn of events, Eriksen started the Europa League final on the bench. When he was summoned as part of a throw-caution-to-the-wind triple substitution (this time with the luxury of 12 minutes of time left) Inter trailed Sevilla by the scoreline they would ultimately lose by, 3-2.

Eriksen couldn't add to his two goals in the competition (the same tally Lautaro could muster) and defeat in the final looked to have been Conte's last game in charge of Inter before he was convinced to stay in the summer (a decision Eriksen was surely thrilled by).

7. Starting Berth Turns Sour

New season, new beginning.

In an attempt to finally bed in his expensive winter acquisition Conte started Eriksen in the first game of the 2020/21 campaign against Fiorentina, in his favoured number ten position.

Yet, unlike the post-lockdown false dawn, the illusion of some corner being turned had evaporated after an hour.

With Inter trailing La Viola 3-2, Eriksen was hooked as, alongside Ashley Young, the first substitution of the game.

8. Overlooked Time and Again

Now Eriksen can only dream of being degradingly hauled off in a match, as that would entail actually featuring at all.

Inter's number 24 has started just three games since the opening day and been left on the bench on four occasions. Against Lazio, Real Madrid and Torino, Inter needed a goal to secure a win with at least half an hour to play. Yet, on all three occasions Conte overlooked his Danish playmaker.