Denmark boss responds when asked about Manchester United star Rasmus Hojlund's recent lack of goals ahead of Euro 2024
Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand has opened up on Manchester United attacker Rasmus Hojlund's dry goalscoring run for his country ahead of Euro 2024. Hjulmand believes the striker's poor goalscoring form is just a 'phase'.
Hojlund played a pivotal role in helping Denmark top their Euro 2024 qualifying group, scoring seven goals in eight games. However, the 21-year-old has found the back of the net just once in his last eight international appearances.
However, Kasper Hjulmand has plenty of belief in his star attacker and has backed him to get back to goalscoring form. He also insisted that the Manchester United star always makes a difference even when he does not find the back of the net.
The Denmark manager said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News:
"It comes in phases. Sometimes you have this period where you score a lot of goals. But thankfully Rasmus always makes a big impression in every game. He's dangerous and he's fully motivated but he always makes a difference, which is the most important thing."
Hjulmand added:
"The goals will come and sometimes you're gonna have to fight more for the goals and other times they're just gonna go in every time you kick."
Hojlund earned a big-money move to Manchester United from Atalanta last summer when the Red Devils splashed £72 million for his services. The striker had to wait until December for his first Premier League goal and finished with a respectable tally of 16 goals in all competitions in 43 games.
The young number nine has earned 14 caps for Denmark so far, scoring seven goals and providing one assist. Denmark open their Euro 2024 campaign on Sunday, June 16, against Slovenia.
England defender admits he was close to joining Manchester United before moving to PL rivals
Newcastle United and England defender Kieran Tripper has revealed that he came close to joining Manchester United in the summer of 2021. However, the move failed to materialize and he eventually moved to Newcastle United in January 2022 in a deal worth a reported £12 million.
Tripper, who has been one of the best creative full-backs in world football in recent years, told Gary Neville on the Overlap (via TBR Football):
"I wanted to come back to England, my family were finding it very difficult. I could’ve stayed at Madrid, I could’ve signed a new three-year contract, but as a player, you have to be realistic about where you can go. I couldn’t go to City or Liverpool. I was restricted to certain clubs."
Gary Neville asked:
"Manchester United came in though, didn’t they?"
The former Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur full-back replied:
"Yeah, United came in straight after the Euros and that was very close, obviously growing up being a red as well with all my family, but it didn’t happen. Everything happens for a reason, it just fell away really."
Tripper has enjoyed himself at Newcastle United following his return to English football after a spell in Spain with Atletico Madrid. The England international has scored four goals and produced 21 assists in 92 appearances for the Tyneside giants so far.