World Cup winner’s shock claim about Hjulmand: He came to my room | OneFootball

Samuel Umtiti showered Morten Hjulmand with praise in a recent interview given to the renowned French newspaper L'Équipe. The two players crossed paths at Lecce, in the Italian league, and the French defender shared some stories between them.

"When I arrived at Lecce [in 2022], the club had just been promoted [to Serie A]. He [Hjulmand] was the captain, and I felt that he had the soul of a leader, despite not being the oldest or the most experienced in the squad," Samuel Umtiti began to explain, about the Sporting player who is not having the best moment.

The 2018 World Cup champion continued: "There was a night when he came to my room to talk to me, to see how I was feeling. I had just signed and was not physically ready [to play], but he told me that the team was counting on me. He spoke to me as a captain should, despite my status. I really appreciated that approach."

"Since our team was newly promoted and defended a lot, our style of play didn't help him express his qualities, because technically he was a level above. He is good at dictating the pace of the game, recovering balls, and has a good shot. We may not talk much about him, but he is indispensable to the team. And he is very similar to Hojberg, it's true," added the retired player, about Morten Hjulmand's time at Lecce.

He concluded with more praise, also highlighting the personality of the Sporting captain: "He has all the qualities of a modern midfielder, the physique, the technique... He has the potential to become a top player. I am very proud to have been part of his evolution. Besides being a very good player, he is also a very good person."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.