Amidst the criticism Rasmus Hojlund has received since making his big-money move to Manchester United, it’s been counter-acted by those who know he’s something special.
The latest to voice high praise for the forward is his former FC Copenhagen assistant coach Ruben Selles, whom United supporters will recognise from his time at Southampton prior to their relegation.
Selles claims that Hojlund will be ‘one of the best strikers in the world’ when he’s fully found his feet in England, and it seems as though he’s already on his way.
After a tedious 15-game, the young Dane finally opened his Premier League account on Boxing Day when his contribution sealed a triumphant and emphatic comeback win for the Reds against a rampant Aston Villa side. He’d already hit the ground running in Europe, scoring five times in six group-stage matches, so recreating his prolific form domestically was crucial.
Absent from the subsequent loss to Nottingham Forest through illness, Hojlund added to his tally at the next available opportunity by netting the opener in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur and assisted for the first time when setting up Marcus Rashford with a well-executed weighted pass.
Selles reserves special praise for Hojlund
Fans have high hopes for what Hojlund can bring to Old Trafford while his career continues its upward trajectory, and from someone who knows him inside and out, it appears that they have every right to be so optimistic.
Selles couldn’t speak highly enough of his former protegee this week when he joined the Training Ground Guru podcast.
“You can expect him to be rated as one of the best strikers in the world,” the Reading manager began. “When he has a miss, everyone is talking about it but it’s just part of the process and he will become a better player and he will become stronger in games, and in his mind through this process.
“He’s been brilliant in all the other competitions and brilliant for United. I think it is a matter of time before he connects that and connects that with the fans and, once he will make this ‘crack’, he’s going to be unbelievable.”
“He’s a mentality monster,” Selles told of Hojlund. “He developed into a mentality monster. He has a good family that takes care of him. His environment is really strong and you don’t have that quite often with a young, talented player, that when we had him in Copenhagen, with that kind of mentality.”
