*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:21, 14 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 04:45, 19 November 2024 (UTC)
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.
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.[3] 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.[4] 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
Having 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9] At the end of the season, Lecce narrowly escaped relegation, with Hjulmand being a crucial figure in that feat.[10]
Sporting CP
On 13 August 2023, Hjulmand signed a five-year contract with Primeira Liga club Sporting CP for a fee of €18 million,[11] which could rise to €21 million with add-ons.[12] His release clause was set at €80 million.[13][14]
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.[15] 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.[16] On 17 September, Hjulmand scored his first goal for Sporting, the opener in a 3–0 league victory over Moreirense at Estádio José Alvalade.[17]
Over the following months, Hjulmand effectively replaced Manuel Ugarte, while providing leadership to his team, 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.[18][19][20]
On 5 May, Sporting mathematically secured their 20th Primeira Liga title, following Benfica's defeat to Famalicão,[21] and for his performances he was included in the league's Best XI.[22]
