WALES international Ben Davies - a former pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera - says Christian Eriksen's collapse on the pitch at Euro 2020 put football into perspective.
Eriksen, who is a close friend and former Tottenham teammate of Davies, suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch during Denmark's opening group match.
Wales had been playing against Switzerland earlier that day, with Davies and his team-mates back at their hotel in Baku and watching on TV when Eriksen collapsed.
The Danish international has since been discharged from hospital, and he spoke to Davies on the phone ahead of Wales' last 16 showdown against Denmark on Saturday.
"I've spoken to him a few times since it happened , and he seems to be in good spirits," ex-Swansea City player Davies told the BBC, prior to their second round match.
"I don't know what happens with him from here on out, but it's best we just let him have his privacy and spend time with his family – the most important thing is he's alive."
The two players had an added connection as Davies had spent part of his childhood living in Denmark, and played for Viborg's academy, before returning to Swansea.
When Eriksen suffered his cardiac arrest whilst playing against Finland, the Wales team were watching on TV back at their hotel in Baku, after playing Switzerland.
"It was pretty horrific, he is a good friend and I just didn't know what was happening, I was on the phone to quite a lot of our mutual friends," Davies revealed.
"We didn't know the situation, but the boys were great, in fairness, they found out anything they could, it kind of just made the football seem very irrelevant.
"To be honest the football side of it, once that happens - it's completely irrelevant. The only thing that matters is will he be alive and be there for his family."
Wales went on to secure their place in the last 16, after finishing second in Group A, drawing with Switzerland and beating Turkey before then losing to Italy.
Denmark, meanwhile, were runners-up in Group B, recovering from defeats against Finland and Belgium to beat Russia on a highly-charged night in Copenhagen.
It set up a last 16 match between Wales and Denmark in Amsterdam - and Davies said that he was told by his old friend Eriksen on the phone "you'll be in for a tough one."
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