To borrow an old footballing slogan, 1992 was a good year for Danish football. Christian Eriksen was born. He was only a few months old when the former Yugoslavia, embroiled in its civil war, was excluded from the European Championship and Denmark's players were summoned from their holidays as late replacements. Nobody dared to imagine that the party gatecrashers would end up dancing on the tables and taking home the most beautiful prize.

An auspicious footballing year in Denmark, indeed. The goalkeeper from that triumphant team, Peter Schmeichel, happened to be in London when Eriksen made a stylish Premier League debut. He was chuffed to see one of his compatriots sparkle. "It was a good moment to be a Dane in England," he said. "He's a damn good player."

In his early appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, Eriksen has demonstrated what people back home who know him well knew all along. When it is time to climb another rung up the ladder, nobody need worry for one second about the sureness and confidence of his footing.

Uffe Pedersen is the head of talent for OB, the boyhood club where Eriksen's career began to become serious. Back in Odense, on the island of Funen, Pedersen's fondness flows as he considers the boy who arrived at his club with unusual gifts packed into an awkward teenage body. "At that age lots of kids are growing and look funny," he recalls. "You could tell already he was something special. Every time Christian moved to a higher level he needed just one or two games to cope with that and then become the best player."

Eriksen was regularly promoted to play in age groups a couple of years ahead. "He steps up easily, this young guy taking over the whole game, setting the speed and shape of the game. Christian could play anywhere with good players," remembers Pedersen. It is the nature of his position – in the classic No10 role, as his team's creative heartbeat and rhythmic metronome – that makes his accelerated development so interesting. To take the responsibility of being the playmaker at a young age, and wear it well, is remarkable.

Eriksen is far from the only gifted No10 (in spirit if not on the back of the shirt) to move to England lately. On Saturday he will come up against a Chelsea team with such a collection that José Mourinho seems to have got himself tangled up in blue playmakers. Arsenal still seem to be fairly amazed they managed to buy Mesut Özil. Liverpool have been enchanted by Philippe Coutinho since he arrived in January.

Arsène Wenger reckons these creative specialists are in vogue because English football is short of centre forwards: "If you look at the strikers that have been sold during the summer most of them are South American. If you compare England today with 20 to 30 years ago the main difference for me is that you have no strikers any more, in a country who produced so many. Why? We have developed the technical game, so the guy who delivers this kind of ball has become even more important.

"Before you could get the cross in and you had a guy who could jump above everybody and head the ball in. Today you have to find him through little pockets."

The ability to see and deliver a killer pass is the quality that has always stood out in Eriksen. When Frank de Boer, Ajax's head coach who was in charge of youth when Eriksen arrived as a skinny 16-year-old, took him under his wing it was the vision that made the most vivid impression. "He's always on the move. Quick thinking. He has eyes in his back. When you think he doesn't see you, he sees you," assesses De Boer.

Eriksen caught the attention of a string of major European clubs vying to sign him from OB. His father, Thomas, was a coach himself and a down-to-earth soul. The message he continually taught his son was humility: don't brag. If you are good people will notice. Let your feet talk.

Eriksen's parents tried not to get impressed by agents. Instead they asked Pedersen to look after their son. "His family were so nice, they just told me to take care of him and let them know if something interesting came about," he recalls. "There was no fuss."

Pedersen accompanied Eriksen to Barcelona, Chelsea, Milan and Ajax, and the player's final decision was an intelligent and calm one. He could have been swept away by La Masia. He might have been richly rewarded by Roman Abramovich. But his priority was not money or celebrity as he chose a place to suit his personality and drive for improvement. The Dutch club offered the perfect education and opportunity to play for a young man serious about developing as a No10.

What Ajax did do, for the first time in all his formative football years, is bring him down the ladder instead of pushing him up. Eriksen initially moved from under-19 to under-17 football because Ajax wanted him to focus first on learning the language and settling in. "Within three or four months he spoke perfect Dutch, and it's a similar culture, but the thing you need to adapt fastest is to play well. Then people accept you," notes De Boer. Before long Eriksen was ready to rise again.

De Boer had no qualms about recommending him for first-team duty and a debut aged 17. "I was training the under-19s and could directly say to the manager: 'You can take Christian already. He might have more to come physically but he is mentally ready.'"

During his five years at Ajax he blossomed, and when the time came for another stepping stone he again chose carefully. At Tottenham under André Villas-Boas he has the chance to play, the trust of the coach and the freedom to dictate games at the tender age of 21. "His team-mates have to adapt to him now," says De Boer. "He is only going to get better. I hope for the best for him."

Already he is the centrepiece for the Danish national team. Replicating his best form for his country remains a challenge, and the expectations that surround the most important talent since Michael Laudrup are intense. "It will be interesting to follow him because we do not yet know his mental strength," muses Schmeichel. "There is a huge pressure on him and I hope he can handle it."

Pedersen has no doubts: "It won't be hard to cope with because he is just a natural, nice kid. The person is the strongest part of him. He is not drinking, not driving fast in his car. There will be bumps, but first of all remember he just loves the game."