Kasper Hjulmand is relishing a reunion with Christian Eriksen as Bayer Leverkusen prepare to face Wolfsburg.
Eriksen signed for Wolfsburg in the summer after leaving Manchester United.
The playmaker was a key part of Hjulmand's Denmark side, though there is one moment that sticks in the mind of the Leverkusen coach.
Hjulmand was in charge of Denmark when Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in Copenhagen at Euro 2020, having suffered cardiac arrest.
Eriksen went on to make a full recovery and enjoy spells at Brentford and United, while he has made seven Bundesliga appearances since joining Wolfsburg, albeit featuring for only 402 minutes in total.
"When there are quieter moments, I sometimes think of him. The situation back then changed my life a bit," Hjulmand said of Eriksen and the incident at Euro 2020.
"After that time, he returned in an international match against the Netherlands and scored after just a few minutes. It was incredibly nice to see him back on the pitch.
"He's a great player and an even better person. I'm looking forward to seeing him again. But I also say: We have one day to go before a match.
"I'm now 100% focused and want to win this game. After the final whistle, if there's time, I can have a chat with him and the others."
Coach's thoughts on tomorrow's away game! pic.twitter.com/u8zHf0zZnN
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) November 21, 2025
Asked if he considered signing Eriksen as a free agent when he joined Leverkusen in September, Hjulmand said: "When I came, our squad had a lot of players in that position, so it was not the right time and place.
"We have lots of quality there, so it was not really an issue. Christian is a fantastic player and an even better person.
"When he starts playing football and you see him train and play, you see a very special player. He understands what he sees around him and he sees more on the pitch than most players. He’s a great player."
Leverkusen sit fifth in the Bundesliga on 20 points, eight adrift of leaders Bayern Munich, who they lost 3-0 to at the start of November. However, Hjulmand's team did bounce back with a 6-0 hammering of Heidenheim last time out.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, sit 14th on eight points from their 10 matches, with Daniel Bauer now in interim charge following the dismissal of Paul Simonis, who had the worst points-per-game-tally of all Wolfsburg bosses to have managed at least five games in the Bundesliga (0.8).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Wolfsburg - Maximilian Arnold
Since his Bundesliga debut for Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, no player in the league has scored more direct free-kick goals than Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo (five), but Wolfsburg midfielder Arnold is joint-second alongside Mainz's Nadiem Amiri (both three).
Indeed, since detailed data collection began in 2004-05, only Diego (13) has scored more direct free-kicks in the Bundesliga than Arnold (11, level with Hakan Calhanoglu).
Bayer Leverkusen - Ernest Poku
Poku has been directly involved in five goals (three goals, two assists) in his first five Bundesliga starts for Leverkusen.
Since detailed data collection began in 2004-05, only Patrick Helmes (seven) and Victor Boniface (eight) have better records in their first five Bundesliga starts for the club.