Man United's £72m striker didn't score his first Premier League goal until Boxing Day – but one Red Devils player sees potential aplenty
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Casemiro believes Rasmus Hojlund has what it takes to become an era-defining player for Manchester United.
Signed for £72m from Atalanta last summer, Hojlund had to wait until his 15th Premier League appearance to score his first goal in the competition – a well-taken late winner in the 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
The Denmark striker's lack of goals has been notable – but so has the lack of quality service afforded to him, and his Brazilian club teammate has full faith in the 20-year-old.
Casemiro anticipates big, big things from Hojlund at Man United (Image credit: Getty Images)
Discussing Hojlund's start to life at Old Trafford in an interview with Man United's official website, Casemiro said: "At the end of the day, he's just a kid, so we shouldn't be putting a lot of pression on him.
"A lot of people think that he should be coming in and scoring 30-odd goals right away. He's still young and this is his first season in the Premier League..."
Casemiro went on to praise the "attitude" of Hojlund, who had netted five times in the Champions League for United prior to finally breaking his Premier League duck.
Hojlund struck in the 82nd minute as United came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on Boxing Day (Image credit: Getty Images)
And the 31-year-old midfielder, who enjoyed an excellent first campaign with the Red Devils after joining from Real Madrid in August 2022, is confident that his much younger colleague will achieve great things at Old Trafford. He continued:
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"He's definitely playing better in every game and he's working really hard. Rasmus is a dedicated lad and he's keen to kick on. He'll be a great player for this club and, with the ambitions he has, he could define an era at Manchester United."
United are next in action on Monday night when they make the short trip to League One Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup third; Hojlund looks set to remain sidelined through illness, however.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
