Erik ten Hag has backed Rasmus Hojlund to score goals for Manchester United and says the summer signing is ‘working very hard’ to improve.
Hojlund signed for Manchester United in a £72m deal last summer after a breakthrough season at Atalanta, but the 20-year-old is still awaiting his first Premier League goal after failing to find the net in eight appearances.
The Denmark international has produced some encouraging performances in Europe however, and has three goals in the Champions League’s group stage.
Ahead of this evening’s clash with Hojlund’s former club, Copenhagen, Ten Hag discussed his adaptation and believes the summer recruit is adapting well at Old Trafford.
“I think he [has integrated] very well,” he said at his pre-game press conference.
“He has scored already three goals in the Champions League, which is very good for an integration period.
“I think as a team we can be better in possession so we can create more and better chances and that will also give our offensive players more opportunities to score goals. What we have to work on is a stable starting XI or at least 12 or 13 players and then the routines will be better and we will create better chances.
“But as I said, social-wise, I think he has integrated very good in the team and in the club. From a football perspective, he has already scored three goals in the Champions League which is a very good performance and from hereon he has to take it on and improve.”
Ten Hag said Hojlund was working hard on the training ground in a bid to improve and believes it is only a matter of time before he begins to find form around goal.
“That is the character of Rasmus. He wants to improve every day so it is lovely to work with him, with such characters. He understands (the need to score goals) but of course, we speak with him about this because he is still a young player.
“He is smart. He understands the situation he is in and he is aware of it and he wants to score goals. When he is not, he is so keen to score in the next game.
“He is working very hard in training to get his progress in.”
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