Morten Blom Due Hjulmand (born 25 June 1999) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP and the Denmark national team.[1]
 Hjulmand with Sporting CP in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Morten Blom Due Hjulmand | ||
| Date of birth | 25 June 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Kastrup, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting CP | ||
| Number | 42 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Copenhagen | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Admira Wacker | 68 | (1) |
| 2021–2023 | Lecce | 91 | (0) |
| 2023– | Sporting CP | 31 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Denmark U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Denmark U19 | 15 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Denmark U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Denmark U21 | 12 | (0) |
| 2023– | Denmark | 10 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:17, 9 August 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 June 2024 | |||
Hjulmand joined Admira Wacker's youth system from Copenhagen in May 2018 and made his first-team debut in July. In January 2021, he moved to Serie B side Lecce, helping win the 2021–22 Serie B title, and achieve to promotion from the same division to Serie A. Sporting CP signed him in August 2023 and he helped them win the 2023–24 Primeira Liga title.
Hjulmand has also represented Denmark at various youth levels, before making his senior international debut in September 2023, and he was selected for UEFA Euro 2024.
Club career
editAdmira Wacker
edit
Born in Kastrup, Denmark, Hjulmand progressed through the academy at Copenhagen, he moved to Austria on 13 May 2018 to join Admira Wacker's U-19 squad, signing a contract until June 2022.[2] Hjulmand had never played any official games for Copenhagen's first team, but had been on training camps with them
He made his first team debut on 20 July 2018, in the 1–0 loss against Neusiedl in the Austrian Cup.[3] Six days later, he also made his debut in the UEFA Europa League, starting in the 3–0 loss to CSKA Sofia, being replaced at half-time by Daniel Toth. On 29 July, he made his debut in the Austrian Bundesliga, coming on as a substitute to Daniel Toth in the 78th minute, in the 3–0 loss to Rapid Wien. In his first year with the Austrian club, he established himself as a starter, playing 32 games in total.
The following season, on 19 October 2019, he scored his first goal for the club's first team, in a 4–1 league win away to Altach. After two and a half seasons, he made 68 appearances, with this goal being the only goal he scored for the club.
Lecce
editHaving started the 2020–21 season with Admira, on 16 January 2021, Hjulmand signed a four-year contract with Italian club Lecce for a fee of €170,000, in the second-tier Serie B at the time.[4] He made his debut with the Giallorossi eight days later, coming on as a substitute in the second half of the league match, which ended in a 2–2 home draw against Empoli.
Having quickly established himself as one of the pillars of the team, he established himself as one the best midfielders in Serie B, helping them reach the promotion play-offs semi-finals, where they failed to gain promotion to Serie A at the end of the 2020–21 season.[5] In the 2021–22 season, Hjulmand accumulated the most minutes in the 2021–22 Serie B season, with Lecce being crowned Serie B champions, and gaining promotion to Serie A for the 2022–23 season, as a result, Lecce returned to the top flight after two years of absence.[6]
The following season, Hjulmand was made Lecce's new captain, replacing Fabio Lucioni, who had recently left the club. In the process, he became the youngest club captain in Serie A history, aged 23.[7] He made his top flight debut on 13 August 2022, in a 2–1 loss to Inter Milan. Under manager Marco Baroni, Hjulmand was entrusted an important role in the team's midfield, with his dynamism, vision, personality, technical and temperamental qualities, placing him among the top players in Serie A for average kilometres covered per match (over 10) and also led the league for the most balls recovered.[8] At the end of the season, Lecce narrowly escaped relegation, with Hjulmand being a crucial figure in that feat.[9]
Sporting CP
editOn 13 August 2023, Hjulmand signed a five-year contract with Primeira Liga club Sporting CP for a fee of €18 million,[10] which could rise to €21 million with add-ons.[11] His release clause was set at €80 million.[12][13]
Five days later, Hjulmand made his debut for Sporting, coming off the bench to replace Marcus Edwards on the 75th minute of a 2–1 league victory away at Casa Pia.[14] He made his first start for the Lions on 27 August, in a 1–0 home win over Famalicão, being replaced by Daniel Bragança on the 84th minute.[15] On 17 September, Hjulmand scored his first goal for Sporting, the opener in a 3–0 league victory over Moreirense at Estádio José Alvalade.[16]
Over the following months, Hjulmand effectively replaced Manuel Ugarte, while providing leadership to his team, being capable of playing the defensive midfielder role, quickly progressing play after winning the ball or receiving a pass and linking the play offensively, appearancing in more advanced areas for long-distance shoots, leading his manager Rúben Amorim to deem him more complete player in his position than Ugarte and João Palhinha, who had recently left the club.[17][18][19]
On 5 May, Sporting mathematically secured their 20th Primeira Liga title, following Benfica's defeat to Famalicão,[20] and for his performances he was included in the league's Best XI.[21]
On 7 July 2024, he was named as Sebastian Coates's replacement as club captain, after he left the club.[22] In his first match as club captain, on 3 August, Sporting lost 4–3 to rivals Porto in the 2024 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, despite leading the game by three goals.[23]
International career
editHjulmand was called up to the senior Denmark squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches on 16 and 19 June 2023 against Northern Ireland and Slovenia, respectively.[24] On 7 September 2023, Hjulmand made his debut for the senior team, coming off the bench in a 4–0 win over San Marino.[25]
On 20 June 2024, he scored his first international goal; an equaliser against England at Euro 2024.[26]
Style of play
editHjulmand is defensively midfielder who reads the game to a high level, he has great anticipation which allows him to read the opposition's next attacking moves. He is capable of playing the defensive midfielder with a positional discipline that allows him to sit just in front of the defense, in order to prevent opponents from testing the goalkeeper from long range and quickly progressing play after winning the ball or receiving a pass. He is not too aggressive to the point that makes him rash or pulls him out of position, but he's very strong and tenacious in duels and positions his body well to win them. His shooting especially from long distance is laso one of his key abilities, beign a real threat from outside the box, while using his spatial awareness to hover around the edge of the box unmarked before unleashing powerful shots on goal.[17][19]
Personal life
editMorten Hjulmand is not related to Denmark national team manager Kasper Hjulmand.[27][28][29]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 9 August 2024[30]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Admira Wacker | 2018–19 | Austrian Bundesliga | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Austrian Bundesliga | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 1 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Austrian Bundesliga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 68 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 74 | 1 | ||||
| Lecce | 2020–21 | Serie B | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Serie B | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 91 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 95 | 0 | ||||
| Sporting CP | 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10[c] | 0 | — | 49 | 4 | |
| 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 190 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 220 | 5 | ||
- ^ Includes Austrian Cup, Coppa Italia, Taça de Portugal
- ^ Includes Taça da Liga
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearances in Serie B promotion play-offs
- ^ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
International
edit- As of match played 25 June 2024[31]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | |
- As of match played 20 June 2024
- Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hjulmand goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 2024 | Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany | 9 | England | 1–1 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Honours
editLecce
Sporting CP
Individual
References
edit- ^ a b Morten Hjulmand at Soccerway
- ^ Morten Hjulmand solgt til FC Admira Wacker, fck.dk, 13 May 2018
- ^ NEUSIEDL VS. ADMIRA 1 - 0, Soccerway, 20 July 2018
- ^ "HJULMAND IN GIALLOROSSO" (in Italian). Lecce. 16 January 2021.
- ^ "SOLLEVATO DALL'INCARICO IL TECNICO CORINI" (in Italian). Lecce. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ a b "ONORATA LA NOSTRA MAGLIA" (in Italian). Lecce. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Hjulmand's explosion at Lecce: he is the youngest captain in Serie A" (in Italian). Goal.com. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Hjulmand`s interview" (in Italian). Serie A. 17 February 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "RINNOVATO IL RAPPORTO CONTRATTUALE CON MISTER BARONI" (in Italian). Lecce. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Sporting confirma chegada de Hjulmand por 18 milhões de euros" [Sporting confirms Hjulmand's arrival for 18 million euros] (in Portuguese). Público. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ "Sporting divulga números do mercado de transferências" [Sporting discloses transfer market numbers] (in European Portuguese). A Bola. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ "Morten Hjulmand é reforço" [Morten Hjulmand is reinforcement]. Sporting CP (in European Portuguese). 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ Hjulmand: "É um grande passo para a minha carreira", retrieved 14 August 2023
- ^ "Arranque vitorioso continua em Rio Maior" [Victorious start continues at Rio Maior] (in European Portuguese). Sporting CP. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Hjulmand estreou-se a titular pelo Sporting: «Estava grande ambiente»" [Hjulmand debuted as a starter for Sporting: «There was a great atmosphere»] (in European Portuguese). Record. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Sporting goleia o Moreirense por 3-0 com golos apenas na segunda parte" [Sporting thrashes Moreirense by 3-0 with only second-half goals]. SAPO Desporto (in European Portuguese). 17 September 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ a b A transformação de Amorim: o melhor de Ugarte e Palhinha em Hjulmand (in Portuguese), retrieved 4 September 2024
- ^ "Adoro Palhinha e Ugarte, mas diria que Hjulmand é o jogador mais completo" (in Portuguese), retrieved 4 September 2024
- ^ a b Morten Hjulmand: Analyzing Sporting’s Danish Midfielder (in Portuguese), retrieved 4 September 2024
- ^ a b "Sporting sagra-se campeão nacional após derrota do Benfica em Famalicão" [Sporting become national champions after Benfica's defeat in Famalicão]. Record (in Portuguese). 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "Kick-Off 2021/22: os premiados, as declarações e o sorteio dos calendários". O Jogo. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "Hjulmand é o novo capitão do Sporting". www.record.pt. Record. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Porto pull off stunning comeback to beat Sporting in seven-goal Super Taça thriller". PortuGOAL. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Her er Hjulmands trup til kvalkampe - TV 2". sport.tv2.dk (in Danish). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Denmark 4–0 San Marino". The Guardian. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
- ^ "Denmark's Morten Hjulmand scores the equalizer in 34' against England | UEFA Euro 2024". FOX Sports. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Lynge, Rikke. "Er Kasper Hjulmand og Morten Hjulmand i familie?". www.herognu.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ "Her er svaret! Er Morten Hjulmand i familie med Kasper Hjulmand?". BILLED-BLADET (in Danish). 20 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ "EM i fodbold: Er Kasper Hjulmand og Morten Hjulmand i familie?". www.dagens.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ Morten Hjulmand at Soccerway
- ^ "Morten Hjulmand". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Jota Silva fecha o 'Onze do Ano' da Primeira Liga". Sapo Desporto (in Portuguese). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
External links
edit- Morten Hjulmand national team profile at the Danish Football Association (in Danish)