Rasmus Hojlund, a talented striker for Manchester United, turned 21 today and gave himself the ideal birthday present by scoring an outstanding solo goal at Old Trafford against West Ham.
As he became “only the second player to score on his 21st birthday in the Premier League, along with Noel Whelan in December 1995,” OptaJoe claims that the goal was particularly meaningful. The youthful Dane also made history by being the youngest player for Manchester United to score in four straight Premier League games.
The Danish international has faced criticism from many quarters as a result of his at times difficult debut season in England.
The teenage attacker does, however, appear to have turned the corner as he now leads the squad in scoring across all competitions with 10 goals, including an incredible goal against Tottenham that won him the club’s internal goal of the month award.
Not to mention, he remains tied for the most goals scored in the Champions League this year.
The Danish player recently mentioned that he is starting to adjust to the English game’s faster tempo, which is undoubtedly helping him play better in front of goal.
But how good is United’s number 11 and how far can he go in the future? That is the question.
In his first season in England, the Dane is expected to score between 15 and 20 goals across all competitions, which is a great total. Critics would argue that because he has played more games, he ought to be scoring more, but it’s important to keep in mind the environment in which he plays.
Hojlund plays for a team that is not known for free scoring, and it has frequently been mentioned that because the other players do not pass to him, he must create opportunities for himself.
Looking at the league’s best scorers and comparing them to where they were when Rasmus was his age, the Dane looks very good.
While Mo Salah has only managed nine goals in 48 appearances for Basel in the Swiss league, Erling Haaland is undoubtedly an exception. Dominic Solanke was on the verge of joining Bournemouth after scoring just one goal for Liverpool.
Son Heung-Min had never scored more than twelve goals in a Bundesliga season before, and Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen, who finished in the top five, were both free-scoring in the Championship at Hojlund’s age.
Put another way, Hojlund is playing at a level comparable to that of Haaland, the only other top scorer in the Premier League at this age.
It is a fact that being the line-leader for a massive club is a very difficult position, made even more difficult for a team like United that has flaws and pressure on them.
Although nobody knows how good he can get, he has everything he needs to perform at the best level for a very long time.
He’s already performing in the club from his youth.
possesses incredible strength, speed, agility, and a fantastic left foot. His right is also not awful, as she demonstrated today.
Additionally, with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo in an intriguing supporting cast, the Dane ought to be able to develop for years with recognizable, gifted faces. The forward has already mentioned how friendly he is with Mainoo.
Additionally, INEOS is eager to surround the 21-year-old with young talent and connections to people like Michael Olise.
The only thing left to say is happy birthday, Rasmus, as he is one of United’s season’s bright spots!