Former Bantam Jorgensen says Denmark gripped by Euro fever

But there will be no such split loyalties for the former City midfielder in front of the big screen as his home country go into semi-final battle at Wembley.

Jorgensen admits he has been swept along by the national euphoria as much as any Dane in their bid to emulate the stunning success of 1992.

It is a charge fuelled by the emotion of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest in the opening game against Finland – a shocking moment that brought Denmark to a standstill.

Jorgensen said: “It was surreal. We’d gone a year of the Euros being delayed and then we’re lucky enough to get three games in Copenhagen.

“Everyone was getting really up for the first game and then this happened.

“Like many others, I was just sat there thinking, ‘I don’t want to watch football’. It was horrible.

“I thought he was concussed at the time, then all of a sudden you see the medics giving him CPR.

“Everything just stopped. The country was obviously going through the whole thing waiting for news.

“It was almost a case of having to play the football to get it out the way.

“But then, from being so low, it united everyone and we had the fairy-tale of beating Russia in the last group game and everything working out results-wise to qualify.

Denmark players shield Christian Eriksen as he receives CPR on the pitch

“The country is feeling something that it hasn’t done for many years.”

Denmark climbed off the floor after losing their first two games to put four past Russia and then Wales.

A 2-1 win over Czech Republic in Baku earned Kasper Hjulmand’s side an unlikely place in the last four – and the country has gone mad.

“It’s absolutely bonkers,” laughed Jorgensen, who returned to Denmark two years ago and is currently employed selling digital phone Apps.

“You get used to watching England games on the big screens and beers going everywhere – here it’s like a competition who can throw the most in the air!

“You’ve had 18 months dealing with the Covid and this is a celebration for a lot of things.

“It’s a generation of football fans who have heard about all the excitement from ’92 in Sweden and now they are getting a little glimpse of it.

“It’s absolutely fantastic but we’ve got a while to go yet.

“England will feel that they should beat Denmark and I just hope that a little bit of complacency and nerves settles in.

“Denmark have played well against British teams and they are riding the wave of positivity and support. They probably feel they can walk on water.”

Denmark have stunned European football’s big boys before. Twenty-nine years ago, they were only added to the Euros finals as a late replacement after Yugoslavia were disqualified because of civil war.

Richard Moller Nielsen and his players would go on to write themselves into history by beating Germany to lift the trophy.

Jorgensen added: “It is similar because we had to win the last group game against France to get through and then went on to beat Holland and Germany, three big matches.

“The comparison to now is this real optimism and joyfulness among the Danish players.

“You can notice a difference between the teams with the way they celebrate.

“England have a lot of pressure on them, so it’s almost a relief when they score. They can’t let go as much as the Danes.

“That’s a shame in a way but if things go against England a little bit, it will be interesting to see how the players react.

“If the Danes go a goal down, they will keep it optimistic. But if it happens to England, it will feel like the end of the world.”

Jorgensen played for City between 2001 and 2003 – a stay that was memorable for an incredible run when he scored in eight successive away matches.

He also represented Bournemouth and Coventry before ending his career with a season at Port Vale.

And while he is pleased to see England doing well, there is no sitting on the fence for this one.

Claus Jorgensen holds off Paul Ince during a City game at Wolves

“I watched the quarter-finals on an outdoor screen and I put on an England top and had Danish flags painted on me.

“People were asking after the games, “who are you going to support on Wednesday?” Are you kidding me?

“England look really solid and must be favourites. But you know football often comes down to luck and the ball bouncing one way rather than the other.

“I know Denmark will come out and be positive and go for it if they can.

“It’s clearly going to be tough to open the door with England not conceding a goal so far. A lot will rely on breakaways, mainly from the left wing-back Joakim Maehle who has been a revelation.

“But I think it will be a draw and Denmark will win on penalties.

“If we go that far, I quite fancy Kasper Schmeichel to win it for us.”