Mads Hermansen shares his 2026 ‘dream’ as West Ham goalkeeper sets out plan

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Mads Hermansen, the £18 million goalkeeper settling into life at West Ham United after joining from Leicester City, is a man who knows what he wants.

And what he wants is to achieve his ‘dream’. Preferably, during the summer of 2026.

Just three days after Hermansen kept his first West Ham clean sheet during the 3-0 trouncing of Nottingham Forest, the former Brondby glovesman touched down in Helsingor for a chat with the Danish media.

Now, the big-money acquisition from the King Power Stadium has been part of the Danish national team squad for each of their last 26 matches. A run which began all the way back in March 2023, months before he left his homeland for the East Midlands.

Yet, Mads Hermansen is still awaiting his first appearance on the international stage.

A wait West Ham United’s new number one is hoping to end, either against Scotland on Friday or the World Cup qualifying clash with Greece a 72 hours later.

West Ham United’s Mads Hermansen dreaming of a Denmark World Cup

While capped at every age group from Under-16 to Under-21 level, Hermansen remains second-choice behind the highly-experienced Kasper Schmeichel.

But, using the 2026 World Cup as a target, the Odense-born stopper hopes to oust a goalkeeper 13 years his senior just in time for next summer’s so-called Festival of Football on the other side of the Atlantic.

“I feel ready to play. There’s no doubt about that,” a bullish Hermansen tells Tipsbladet. “And every day I do everything I can to chase that dream and that goal, to become number one for Denmark.

“Of course, my goal is to play at the World Cup next summer.”

One step at a time, Mads.

A senior Denmark debut would be his first stop on a journey which could take him to North America and Mexico.

“I focus on being the best, and I do that by focusing on how I can become that. I can’t go around thinking about what one, two and three people on the team are doing. It’s out of my hands anyway,” adds Hermansen, who won a Danish Superliga title and a Player of the Year award during his time at Brondby.

“But, of course, I am ready to play for the national team now. Being here as a Danish national team player means everything to me, and it’s a huge honour every single time. When I look at everything Kasper has delivered over the years, it’s exactly what I dream of.

“Sometimes, when you sit and listen to the stories he tells from Malta in 2000 and something, he has some fantastic memories! These are the kind of memories I would love to have with me.”

Hermansen secures first Hammers clean sheet in Nottingham Forest win

The goalkeeper himself would have to admit that he did not make the start he wanted to life in the English capital.

A confidence-boosting, morale-raising victory at the City Ground could yet prove to be a turning point, however. Hermansen was not tested all that much away to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. But what he did do, he did with a composure and a decisiveness missing in previous outings against Sunderland and Chelsea.

Rob Green, a West Ham goalkeeper himself over a decade ago, feels that Hermansen was treated somewhat ‘unfairly’ by Graham Potter, thrown in at the deep end and expected to perform without the benefits of a full pre-season following an injury-interrupted summer.

“It’s definitely a lovely afternoon here in Nottingham!” a relieved Hermansen told the official Hammers website after watching Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson seal a much-needed first win of 2025/26.

“We’re just happy to finally get on the board, both with a clean sheet and three goals, three points. It’s an amazing feeling.

“I think it was a pretty decent performance from everyone, from the team. We defended really, really well. We only allowed them a few crosses, a few shots on goal from positions where we could handle it. So, overall, I’m just really, really happy with the performance.

“As we spoke about in the dressing room, I think we still have so much more to give as a group, quality-wise on the ball. So, we will definitely take our team performances to a higher level.”