Who is Kim Hellberg? The man set to snub Swansea City and become new Middlesbrough manager | OneFootball

Kim Hellberg looks set to take over as manager of Middlesbrough amid heavy interest from Swansea City

Swansea City and Middlesbrough are both on the hunt for a new manager, and just when it looked like Swansea had found their Alan Sheehan replacement in Swedish boss Kim Hellberg, Boro have seemingly come out of nowhere to steal his signature away from the Welsh outfit.

Swansea and Middlesbrough have had contrasting seasons thus far.

The Swans sit 18th in the Championship table after 15 games, and following the commencement of the most recent international break, the Welsh club decided to take drastic action and dismiss head coach Alan Sheehan from his role.

Middlesbrough, on the other hand, sit second in the league table, having won eight, drawn five, and lost just twice after 15 games, and sit behind only Coventry City at this stage.

However, Boro's run of good form has not gone unnoticed, and now-former head coach Rob Edwards accepted the role to controversially become the boss of Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers, having only joined the club from Teesside over the summer.

Both teams, despite being at opposite ends of the table, are in search of replacements in the dugouts, and both have identified Hammarby IF's Swedish head coach, Kim Hellberg, as their number one target.

Swansea had initially made contact with Hellberg last week, and it looked as though he was set to switch Sweden for Wales this week, but it now appears as if Middlesbrough have made a late move for the 37-year-old and convinced him to move to the North East of England instead.

Kim Hellberg is among the most promising young head coaches in Europe right now

At just 37 years old, Hellberg has developed a reputation as one of the most promising young managers on the continent right now, with both Swansea's and Middlesbrough's interest in the Swede not lacking reason. Though his journey to this stage is nothing short of remarkable.

Hellberg began his coaching career with Kimstad GoIF in 2011 at just 23 years of age, having failed to forge a career as a footballer, primarily playing in the lower leagues of his native Sweden in his youth.

In his debut season with Kimstad, Hellberg guided the minnows to the Division 5 title (the 7th tier of Swedish football). In 2013, he joined Kuddby IF, where he led them from Division 5 to Division 3 in just three seasons.

His stock would only continue to grow, as in 2017, he would join IF Sylvia in the fourth tier of Swedish football, and in his second season in charge at the club, he would guide them to the third tier.

Hellberg would take a step back from being the main man in the dugout in January 2020, where he would join the coaching staff of Allsvenskan side IFK Norrkoping, joining his father, who was also a part of the top-flight outfit's coaching staff.

However, it wouldn't be too long before Hellberg would become the main man once again, joining IFK Varnamo in December 2021 ahead of the club's first-ever season in the Allsvenskan, and would defy expectations by finishing 20 points above the relegation zone in 10th in his debut season.

Fellow top-flight side IFK Goteborg took an interest in the Swede ahead of the 2023 season, though he would turn them down, and instead led Varnamo to a 5th-place finish in the Allsvenskan, and at the end of the season, he would join Hammarby IF as head coach.

The 37-year-old had attracted interest from the English Championship upon the announcement of his departure from Varnamo, and held talks with Sunderland in December 2023, though the Black Cats would opt for former Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale instead.

Hellberg has led the club to consecutive secnod-place finishes, with only a miracle story from surprise champions Mjallby IF this season denying him his first league title, but his incredible and consistent rise has not gone unnoticed on the continent.

Kim Hellberg is set to reject a move to Swansea City in favour of Middlesbrough

It seemed almost certain that Hellberg would be heading to the United Kingdom during this international break to join Swansea, but Middlesbrough's last-ditch offer for the Swede has seemingly persuaded him to join them instead, with the Welsh outfit now forced to turn their attentions elsewhere.

A release clause of three million Swedish Krona (£240,000) is reportedly in his Hammarby contract, and Boro will not struggle to pay that.

Hellberg has often preferred to set his side up in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shape at Hammarby, which stylistically is a good fit for Boro, with previous manager Edwards having deployed the 4-2-3-1 shape regularly during his time on Teesside, as well as a three-at-the-back formation.

The Boro job will almost certainly be his biggest role yet, with the club having a very real possibility of achieving promotion to the Premier League this season, courtesy of their promising beginning to the campaign.

With none of the parachute payment teams yet up to scratch, an opening in the top two looks up for grabs, with Coventry City looking likely to run away with the league under Frank Lampard. Hellberg's main aim will be to secure one of those two automatic places, and at a minimum, a play-off place.

It remains to be seen whether the Boro job is too much too soon for Hellberg, though his reputation and record may suggest otherwise.

From the Swedish 7th tier to fighting for a place in the English Premier League, Hellberg's sharp rise to this stage has truly been remarkable, but at 37, you may get the feeling that this is still only the beginning.