Morten Blom Due Hjulmand

He left FC Copenhagen's academy for Admira Wacker Mödling as a teenager, then moved to Lecce in January 2021 for a modest initial fee. That switch paid off twice over: he helped Lecce win the Serie B championship in 2021–22, and when Sporting signed him in August 2023 for a reported €18 million, a 10% sell-on clause and performance bonuses pushed Lecce's eventual return on him to around €2.5 million.

At Sporting, the defensive midfielder has become a fixture. He signed a five-year contract on arrival and has since won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles in 2023–24 and 2024–25, adding the Taça de Portugal in the latter season. He was named to the Primeira Liga Team of the Year in both of those campaigns and again in 2025–26, and picked up the league's Midfielder of the Month award in November 2024 and November 2025. In 2024 he was voted Danish Football Player of the Year.

His international career has grown alongside his club form. Hjulmand made his senior Denmark debut against San Marino in September 2023 after coming through the youth ranks at U19 and U21 level. He was part of the Denmark squad at UEFA Euro 2024, where he scored his first senior goal in a 1–1 draw with England during the group stage. He has since earned 27 caps for the national side.

Not everything has gone Sporting's way with Hjulmand on the pitch: the club lost the 2024 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira final to FC Porto 4–3.