Haaland issues expert verdict on Man Utd star Hojlund - 'A bit hard'
Erling Haaland admits Rasmus hojlund found his start to life in the Premier League "a bit hard" but has been impressed with the development of the Manchester United star.
Hojlund moved to Old Trafford in the summer from Atalanta for a hefty fee despite his lack of experience. That was cited as a potential risk for United but Erik ten Hag was quick to trust the Dane, who has led the line for much of the season.
Despite showcasing his quality in the Champions League, where he scored five times in the group stages, his drought domestically went on and on, inviting criticism. Hojlund eventually broke his duck with a winner on Boxing Day against Aston Villa and has since gone from strength to strength.
Haaland said on the Dane: "His start was a bit hard, he has got much better and when we played them he was good. He is young, like me, I am not the youngest anymore but still young. He has to keep on developing as a striker for Manchester United you have to score goals as well."
After scoring against Villa Hojlund went on to enjoy a purple patch. He scored in six successive league games - becoming the youngest player to do so in Premier League history. A brace in a win over Luton Town also saw Gary Neville compare him to Haaland.
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He said: "Hojlund looked like a Haaland in the making - that power, that strength and aggression in his running. I've always like that about a Manchester United centre-forward."
The 21-year-old was absent for Sunday's Manchester derby loss and questions immediately rose as to who could replace him. Hojlund is the club's only recognised out and out No 9, hence why he's been such a regular under Ten Hag. The Dutchman's recruitment decisions have come under fire at Old Trafford, but he was always confident he'd got the right striker.
The Dane recently scored in six straight games (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)"We are very happy with our recruitment and [in Hojlund] we recruited the right character," he said recently. "Of course he can perform under stress when things go against him. He has the abilities to have a strong character, be resilient, be determined and score goals and that's what we saw when we scouted him.
"He doesn't get nervous or lose confidence when he's not scoring. Once you are in a run, you see it, now he's scoring and he's in. That's how he is now. He has a lot of confidence and I'm sure he'll score more."
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