Two incidents at polar opposite ends of the scale in the footballing world have further highlighted the crucial need for more people with vital first aid skills.

When Denmark’s Christian Eriksen collapsed during the Euro 2020 game against Finland after suffering a cardiac arrest, the incident was captured on camera and replayed regularly on TV and via social media.

With Eriksen motionless on the pitch, one of his team-mates, Simon Kjær, put him on his side and ensured his airway was open. Kjær was later praised by medics for playing a key role in saving Eriksen’s life.

The team doctor and stadium doctor then took over and the use of a defibrillator and heart massage revived Eriksen when he was on the brink of dying.

There was another on-field scare last weekend when a non-league match between Rainworth MWFC and Hallam FC was halted after a match official collapsed.

After Andrew Jarvis suffered a suspected heart attack, sports therapist Shannon Brooks used a defibrillator to resuscitate him after chest compressions were administered.

Messrs Eriksen and Jarvis both survived because there were people on hand who had the necessary first aid skills.

The stark reality is that both men would have died had there not been capable first aiders on hand.

Would you have been able to help if you had been a bystander at either match? If the answer is ‘no’, you are urged to learn skills which could help you save a life.

Our free online first aid course, delivered in partnership with Virtual College, takes around only an hour to complete.

With the use of easy-to-follow videos and multiple-choice answers, the course is user-friendly and it does not need to be completed in one go. When you have completed the course, you can even show your commitment to learning first aid by downloading a certificate and printing it off!

What are you waiting for? To do the course, please click on the following link: https://prepared.vc-enable.co.uk/register