Manchester United youngster tipped to become ‘one of best strikers in the world’

Manchester United attacker Rasmus Hojlund has been tipped to become “one of the best strikers in the world” by a former coach.

Hojlund scored just one goal in his first 15 Premier League appearances for United, but rifled a ferocious finish into the top corner to give Erik ten Hag’s side the lead in the first half of Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham at Old Trafford.

“I think Rasmus is a learner, he learns a lot from the environment,” Reading boss Ruben Selles said on The Training Ground Guru podcast.

“From the time where he stepped into the first-team at FC Copenhagen, he didn’t have enough playing time and he found a league like the Austrian league, we talk about the PPDA [passes per defensive action] before, it’s the league with the lowest average of PPDA, so that means it’s a league of high pressure and high transition moments. And that was his game in that time.

“So immediately, when he went there, he became a key player for his team. Scored goals, win balls really high, intense. And that gave him the confidence to go into the next level. So that’s why I think in six months, he made his move to Atalanta with Premier League clubs having him on their agenda.

“He went there, another team that likes to play that kind of high pressure football, going on the front foot, playing forward quick. He learnt a lot from that Serie A experience.”

Hojlund left Atalanta for Manchester United in the summer for an initial £64 million, but the Danish international is still only 20 years old.

“Now at Manchester United, he’s also getting in that level,” Selles said. “He already made it into the Danish national team. So I think with Rasmus, you can expect him to be rated as one of the best strikers in the world. But I think he will become that when the team also will become more established than it is right now.

“He will become a better player and stronger in his mind through this process. He has been brilliant in all the other competitions. I think it’s a matter of time until he connects with the fans. Once he makes that, he’s going to be unbelievable.”

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