Former Manchester United striker Henrik Larsson reveals he is impressed by what he has seen from Rasmus Hojlund so far in a red shirt.
Larsson was one of the finest centre-forwards of his generation — starring for Celtic, Barcelona and Sweden – and I would go as far as to say he was one of the most intelligent strikers I’ve seen play the beautiful game.
Not only is Larsson well-placed to pass judgement on our new striker Hojlund, they also share the Scandinavian connection, so we can be sure that the Swede is keeping a watchful eye over the Dane.
“I watched him when United played against Copenhagen at Old Trafford. I liked what I saw,” Larsson told ManUtd.com. “He is a striker with some speed. He was willing to go beyond the opponents’ back four or back three. It’s early to say, but he looks interesting because physically, there is a presence about him.
“It’s going to take some time before he settles in. He’s new to the club and getting used to other players. But hopefully, for United, he can be a good striker.”
Hojlund has yet to score in the Premier League for United, but a big factor behind that is the lack of service he has been getting in the team. There are less concerns about his goals in Europe after scoring five in four Champions League group matches.
“I think if you’re playing up front in any system, one or two, you always should be able to keep the ball, because you’re not going to be with your partner all the time, even if you’re playing two up front,” Larsson adds.
“So I think that’s the skillset that you need to have as a striker, because more often than not you’re going to have your back towards the goal.
“And then you need to be able to both keep the ball, but also see where your team-mates are and be able to play the knock-back to one of your midfield players coming up and then going beyond again. So I think that’s the skill set that you need to have in any system you play.
“Obviously a lot of teams are playing with three up front, and that means that you’re going to be on your own (in the middle) more often than not. But I think that he has the physical presence to do both things.”
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