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Boss says 20-year-old Manchester United player can become one of world’s best in his position
Rasmus Hojlund has been tipped to become one of the best strikers in the world now that he is at Manchester United.
Rasmus Hojlund has had an extremely difficult time since making the move to Old Trafford in the summer. The 20-year-old has scored one goal in 15 Premier League appearances for United.
His record in the Champions League is much more impressive, with five in six. But there are concerns over whether Hojlund will be able to live up to expectations at Manchester United.
Ruben Selles backs Rasmus Hojlund to become one of the best strikers in the world
The Denmark international missed a number of golden chances against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup last time out. And he has now scored just one goal across the last two months.
Ruben Selles worked with Hojlund when he was coming through at Copenhagen. The Spaniard – who managed Southampton for a spell last season and is now in charge of Reading – told the that the youngster has everything he could need to reach the very top.
“I think Rasmus is a learner, he learns a lot from the environment. 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.
“And now at Manchester United, he’s also getting in that level. 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,” he added.
Manchester United cannot afford to waste striker’s potential
The worry for Manchester United will be that several players have watched their potential slip away while the club has struggled to get out of its rut over the last decade.
Anthony Martial is perhaps the poster boy for that. But others such as Jadon Sancho and Antony have really struggled at Old Trafford for various reasons.
That just shows that there is often only so much a player can do on their own. And it is imperative that Erik ten Hag is able to build a side around Hojlund which can help bring the best out of him.
There have definitely been some very promising signs since his move to the Premier League. Selles is clearly confident that there is a lot more to come from the striker in the coming years.