Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmund said Christian Eriksson was at the forefront of his mind as they beat Wales 4-0 in Amsterdam.
The 29-year-old Ericsson suffered a cardiac arrest in the first half of Denmark's opening match at Euro 2020 on 12 June. He was discharged from the hospital on June 18 after being equipped with an implantable heart monitoring device.
Ericsson continues his recovery at home but remains firmly in the minds of the Danish players as they faced Wales in the round of 16 in Amsterdam. The match was played at the Ajax ground, where Ericsson began his career in 2008 and played for the Dutch giants until 2013 before moving to Tottenham Hotspur.
After the win at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Hjölmund said: "Kruf is one of my biggest inspirations and knowing this was one of Christian's first homes and knowing that he played his first game at the age of 16.. . He is with us, and I would have loved to be here for him."
Wells honored Ericsson by giving Denmark captain Simon Kejer a framed jersey before kick-off. The Wales jersey had "Christian" written on top and Ericsson's number 10 below Bricia Vela, which in Welsh means a quick recovery.
Hjulmand was pleased with Denmark's performance, who scored twice off Kasper Dolberg, with goals from Joachim Möhle and Martin Braithwaite. As they assessed their win, they said, "It's hard to believe that this is reality" and reflected on their journey as they now prepare for the quarter-finals.
"When Christian fell, he changed everything. We were put in a different situation - I'm grateful for the support everyone has shown us in what we needed in that moment. We needed love and support And that's what gives us wings - I admire the boys, they are warriors."
Denmark were forced to make two changes for the match as Yussuf Poulsen was injured and Daniel Vaas was ill. Dolberg replaced Poulsen as the forward and scored twice.
"I think we have a star striker at Casper," said Hajulmand. "I saw him when he was a kid and he had that season when he scored 16 goals for Ajax. He had some problematic phases with injuries and coronavirus, but he bounced back.
"He didn't get to play much in the beginning, but I saw that he was fit in the training session. We had this combination that worked on the pitch. He was charging, and I think it had to be." Huge climax here. The first goal was amazing. It was an amazing performance from Casper."
Denmark will face the winners of the Netherlands-Czech Republic in Baku on 3 July, and despite their run-off form, Hjulmand did not ask whether they are now contenders to win the championship.
"One thing at a time," said Hujulmand. “Each sport has its own course. We believe in the team and our quality, and there is no need to look ahead.