Premier League referee Anthony Taylor insists he was no hero despite receiving widespread praise for his handling of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

Taylor was in charge of the game when former Tottenham playmaker Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s group match against Finland in Copenhagen in June.

The English official immediately recognised the seriousness of the situation and stopped play straight away to call for urgent medical assistance.

“Of course it is a situation you don’t want to be in and you wouldn’t wish anybody to be in but we practised long and hard about staying calm and doing your job.

“It can be a highly-pressurised situation but when you aim to go and referee at a major international tournament you try to prepare to deal with all that.”

Taylor was speaking at his local football club Altrincham, where a defibrillator has been installed with the support of the Premier League Defibrillator Fund.

The fund, which is open to grassroots facilities and clubs, was launched in the summer. Fabrice Muamba, the former Bolton midfielder who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a game in 2012, was also in attendance while emergency aid training was also provided.

Taylor said: “Having a defib unit here means that if someone does suffer a cardiac arrest, the facility is here to help them get through that and survive that. People need to understand the speed of reaction to someone suffering an arrest is so, so important.

“I’d encourage every club that is able to apply to submit that application and get one of these units installed.”