A regional journalist has opened up on what it’s like to live with the same heart-starter device to be fitted in Danish footballer Christian Eriksen.

Andrew Stuart, who was born with a heart condition, has shared his experience of living with an implantable defibrillator.

Mr Eriksen is to be implanted with one of the devices after collapsing on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland on 12 June.

Andrew, who is a video journalist for Reach plc based in Manchester, has described watching the “traumatic” scene unfold.

Andrew, pictured, wrote in a first-person piece: “For those who’ve been told this is a possible course their life could take, it added a little bit extra to it.

“Seeing it happen – you realise that’s why I have one of these. You know that could be you one day.

“In fact, it could be any of us, but the difference is, I have been diagnosed as being more likely to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest or have a heart rhythm problem.

“So, that could be me, at any time, in any place.”

Andrew was born with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot, which cannot be prevented by lifestyle choices and requires surgery to allow sufferers to live past their teenage years.

He had his device, called a CRT-D, implanted in 2016.

Discussing what it’s like to live with one, Andrew added: “Overall, it’s something that sits in your chest. I can only just feel it, but that’s probably because of my body mass.

“Some people feel it more clearly. It’ll last me another five years or so, and it’s not gone off yet, but if it ever does, I know one thing: It’ll feel like a horse has kicked you, but you’re alive.

“I’ll take the first if it comes with the second.”