‘I’m not going anywhere’: 49-year-old manager rules out Aston Villa job

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Kasper Hjulmand has ruled out replacing Dean Smith as manager of Aston Villa, speaking to Ekstra Bladet ahead of Denmark’s World Cup qualifier versus the Faroe Islands. 

Mainz certainly know a good coach when they see one.

After ten memorable years under managerial prodigies Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, the Bundesliga outfit handed the reins to the little-known Hjulmand in May 2014. 

And while the Dane failed to match the achievements of Klopp and Tuchel at the MEWA Arena, losing his job nine months later, Hjulmand’s subsequent achievements suggest he, too, could join the managerial elite. 

Aston Villa may have to look elsewhere as Hjulmand is ‘happy to be Denmark coach’

According to Sky, the 49-year-old is one of the candidates to succeed Dean Smith at an Aston Villa side that has lost its last five Premier League games. 

But, after guiding a talented, ferocious Denmark side to within touching distance of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, Hjulmand isn’t ready to return to the hustle and bustle of club football yet.  

“I am super happy to be Denmark coach and I’m not going anywhere right now,” said Hjulmand, who guided Nordsjaelland to a third-place finish in the Danish Superliga before taking over the national team. 

“I think I have only just started and I am in the process of finding out what this team can do.

“It is quite natural (that links with Aston Villa have emerged). That’s the way it is. It happens all the time. I don’t want to rule out anything – but it is huge to be Danish national coach.” 

Hjulmand isn’t considered one of the leading candidates for the Aston Villa job, although the Midlands giants will have a tough task as they look to lure one of their top targets to England’s second city. 

Steven Gerrard has silverware in his sights at Rangers, Thomas Frank is only weeks into his Premier League journey with Brentford, and Roberto Martinez – who rejected Aston Villa in 2011 – is under contract with Belgium until after the 2022 World Cup.