This week, Jarrod Bowen and El Hadji Malick Diouf joined West Ham United’s Brazilian playmaker Lucas Paqueta in securing their spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Bowen provided a first-ever England assist for Ebere Eze as Thomas Tuchel’s side sealed their fate with a 5-0 thrashing of Latvia. Malick Diouf then made his Senegal ‘dream’ come true as Sadio Mane rolled back the years in a four-goal victory over Mauritanie.
Considering that Carlo Ancelotti is such a big fan of Lucas Paqueta, West Ham United’s number ten will be wearing national team colours during the summer of 2026 himself when fireworks mark the beginning of the so-called ‘Festival of Football’.
But for Mads Hermansen, things are not quite so certain.
The former Leicester City goalkeeper is desperate to play between the sticks for Denmark at the North American World Cup.
But after losing his place at the London Stadium to Alphonse Areola, Danish pundit Peter Kjaer cannot help feel that those best-laid plans have gone very quickly awry.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty ImagesPeter Kjaer ‘worried’ about Mads Hermansen at West Ham United
Despite being a near-ever present in the squad since his first call-up back in 2023, Hermansen is still awaiting a maiden international cap.
And, given that many back home had him pegged as the long-term successor for a now 38-year-old Kasper Schmeichel, the sight of Hermansen warming the bench at West Ham is not a particularly welcome one.
“I’ve actually been worried,” Kjaer, who played in goal four times for Denmark in the 1990s, tells Tipsbladet. “I think it was a good move. It was actually one that I had predicted would happen because I think things fit together well.
“We had a coach at the time in Graham Potter who wanted to play football, and we know Mads Hermansen as a goalkeeper who is good with his feet. And Alphonse Areola is not particularly good with his feet.
“So it looked like a match made in heaven, but things happen in football that you can’t know in advance. They have lost a lot of football matches and have changed managers. Now, we have a completely new situation, where a new manager has come in, who, by the way, was a goalkeeper in his own career.”
Former Denmark goalkeeper understands Nuno Espirito Santo’s stance
By his own admission, it was Graham Potter’s style of play which lured Hermansen to the English capital. But the qualities he offers with the ball at his feet were quickly undermined by a handful of early errors and a dreadful defensive record from set-piece situations.
Potter made the ‘difficult’ decision to drop Hermansen in place of Areola after just four Premier League matches. And while Nuno insists that West Ham’s big-money signing will get his chance again later down the line, the experience and the physicality Areola brings means the Frenchman is likely to keep his place for the foreseeable future.
“I don’t think it’s been the case that [Nuno] hasn’t been comfortable putting Mads Hermansen in goal. For me, it’s clearly about what Nuno has been hired for, which is to survive with West Ham. They’ve been bullied in some of the games, so it looks bad,” former Besiktas and Aberdeen keeper Kjaer adds.
“[It is not as if] he should have chosen Mads Hermansen because he was number one.
“That’s not the case. He must have thought; ‘I need a goalkeeper who I think right now is the best and is the one who can save the most shots for us. Then I’ll buy into whether he can play with his feet or not’.
“I’m not sure that you just change the goalkeeper. It’s really annoying for Mads Hermansen, and it’s annoying on behalf of Denmark.”
Nuno puts his faith in Alphonse Areola before Brentford clash
West Ham host Brentford on Monday night with Nuno looking for a first win at the third time of asking. Areola has conceded five goals in his three matches back in the starting XI, but the 32-year-old has certainly made a big difference when it comes to dealing with crosses into the penalty area.
“When we got here, the change in the goalkeeper position had already been made,” Nuno told ViaPlay this week. “But we have seen a good and top professional goalkeeper [in Hermansen] who works, like many of his teammates.
“So, the relationship is developing, and it becomes normal as time goes by.
“As I mentioned to you, it was a decision that was made before our arrival, this change in the goalkeeper position. And we felt that, when we came to the club and had limited time, we had to continue with Alphonse.
“But all the players will get their chances. It’s a new start for all of them.
“What we expect from Mads is that he works hard and is respectful and patient when it comes to making a decision,” Nuno added. “It’s not him who conceded [all those goals]. It’s the team. We have to improve the team. We have to improve the players individually, all of them.
“It’s not about individual players, or about who concedes or scores a goal. We score and concede goals together. Now, we are working on our idea for the team. And I hope that the next time we talk together, we won’t talk about the same numbers, in terms of conceding goals.
“That would be really nice.”