The 45-year-old will be the fourth man from outside Great Britain to lead the team, after Spanish duo Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal, and Germany's Bernhard Langer.

Bjorn, who has been vice-captain four times including this year's 17-11 defeat to the United States at Hazeltine, was chosen ahead of 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie of Scotland.

As a player, the Dane was a Ryder Cup winner in 1997, 2002 and 2014 and has won 15 European tour titles.

The 45 year old was the first Danish player to represent Europe against the United States when he made his debut under Ballesteros in 1997, the year the biennial contest was first played in continental Europe at Valderrama, in Spain.

“It’s a huge honour for me to be named European captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris. This is one of the greatest days in my career," said Bjorn.

“I studied a lot of captains as a player and as a vice captain and always wondered what that feeling would be like to be the one leading out a team of 12 great players.

"Now it’s my turn to do just that and it is an exciting moment for me.

“I have lived and breathed the European Tour for so long, and now I will do the same with The Ryder Cup for the next two years.

"I’m very much looking forward to taking on this task.”

Bjorn was chosen by a five-man selection panel comprising the three most recent captains - Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and José María Olázabal - as well as the European Tour’s chief executive Keith Pelley and tournament committee member Henrik Stenson.

"Thomas has many wonderful characteristics which he will bring to the role of captain," said Pelley.

"Firstly, he is incredibly experienced having played in three winning Ryder Cup teams and having been a vice-captain four times.

“He also has commitment. We have seen that over the last nine years as tournament committee chairman, so we know as Ryder Cup captain he will have the same unwavering commitment.

The next edition of the biennial competition is scheduled to be held at Le Golf National in Paris from September 28 - 30, 2018.

Bjorn, runner-up at The Open Championships in 2000 and 2003, also knows the 2018 host venue particularly well, having played in the Open de France a total of 14 times at Le Golf National, with his best finish a share of third place in 2007.