Former Mainz manager Kasper Hjulmand to take over from Age Hareide as Denmark coach in 2020

Denmark have confirmed that the former Mainz 05 manager Kasper Hjulmand will take over as national coach when Age Hareide steps down at the end of the Euro 2020 campaign.

Hjulmand, who succeeded Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel in the Mainz hotseat in 2014, has been awarded a two-year contract to lead his country into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 47-year-old will be assisted by former Celtic defender Morten Wieghorst, a reversal of roles for the pair after Hjulmand spent three years as Wieghorst’s assistant at Nordsjaelland.

Denmark currently sit second behind the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2020 qualifying Group D on five points after following up draws against Switzerland and Ireland with a 5-1 win over Georgia.

Norwegian Hareide has been the country’s most successful national coach in recent times, guiding them to the knockout stages of the World Cup in Russia last year.

A thumping 5-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland, with Christian Eriksen scoring a hat-trick, earned the Danes a place in the finals, where they went out on penalties to eventual finalists Croatia.

Denmark have once again been drawn alongside the Republic of Ireland in qualifying, and made it 27 games unbeaten (now 28) with a 1-1 draw in Copenhagen on Friday.

Hjulmand, who retired from playing aged 26, is best known in Denmark for guiding the unfashionable Nordsjaelled to their first-ever Danish Superliga title.

The following year they competed in the Champions League for the first time, finishing fourth in their group behind Chelsea, Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk.