For a relatively small country, Denmark has managed to produce an outstanding array of talent since the early 1980s.

From ex-Real Madrid and Barcelona playmaker Michael Laudrup and Manchester United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel - our special guest at our RDS Roadshow tonight in association with Carlsberg - to current star man Christian Eriksen of Tottenham, talent has emerged in each generation and they even won Euro 92.

But Ireland legend John Giles feels Eriksen, who is viewed as the outstanding individual in the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup playoff tie between Ireland and Denmark wouldn't hold a candle to some of their greatest players from yore. 

"We talk about Eriksen. Eriksen gets all the publicity, by far their best player and I don't think Eriksen would be as good as some of the lads who played in the '70s and the '80s for Denmark," he said on our weekly Thursday Night Football with John Giles.

"I just get the feeling with him, I don't think he likes the pressure, Eriksen. I see him playing a lot for Spurs and he's a very, very gifted lad. But I never feel he gets a grip of the game in the way that you would expect him to. I don't think he takes on that responsibility, so I don't think he'd like this pressure on him going into the match.

"When you watch him play, he drifts in and drifts out. He's very talented and of course you'd have to respect that but he drifts out of the game for long, long periods of the game and there's times I watch Spurs and a lot of times I'd be disappointed in him with the ability that he has. He scores spectacular goals but he doesn't actually play in a midfield role. He's a bit advanced of the midfield and he comes in, goes out. Very gifted when he's on the ball but in my opinion doesn't get on the ball as much as he could or should.

"I mean if we were playing Croatia, I'd be a bit worried about Modric who is a real, real midfield player and could control a game. I would doubt if Denmark have anybody like that in their team."        

He added that from his reading of the player, Eriksen does not look like the type that would look to harness extra responsibility on the pitch.

"I wouldn't be so sure that he'd want to do or take the responsibility that he could do," he said.

John also feels that it's "good" for Ireland that there has been so much pressure and emphasis on Eriksen in the build up and it'll be interesting to see how he handles that scrutiny.