Erik ten Hag has every reason to be happy with how 21-year-old striker Rasmus Hojlund is adapting to life in the Premier League. The young Dane scored a quick-fire double at Kenilworth Road as Manchester United beat Luton Town 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The win means the Reds are still five points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa, but we do close the gap on Tottenham to three points.
Hojlund put his name into the Premier League history books with his opening goal by becoming the youngest player in the top-flight to score in six consecutive top-flight matches. His second goal, chested across the line following a shot from Alejandro Garnacho, puts him on seven league this season.
However, it took the Denmark international 14 appearances to score his first goal in the Premier League, but it is important to mention that Hojlund didn’t have us worried as he scored five goals in the Champions League group stages in the earlier stages of the season.
With a £72m figure hanging over his head following a summer transfer from Serie A outfit Atalanta, Hojlund has had to adapt his game as United’s only centre-forward. It’s not like Ten Hag has been able to rely on Anthony Martial…
Ten Hag has praised Hojlund’s resilience and predicted more goals from his young striker.
“We recruited him on his character,” Ten Hag told reporters, as quoted by The Guardian. “I knew it was strong. He can really perform under stress and that is something you need as a Manchester United striker. He doesn’t get nervous or lose confidence. He has a lot of confidence and I’m sure he will score even more.
“He needed support but he kept calm. He was unlucky at the start. You see he’s a fighter, he keeps going. There are many areas where he can improve but his scoring ability is clear.”
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