“I kept following him and, of course, kept following Manchester United” – Rasmus Hojlund names his idol at Old Trafford
Manchester United new signing Rasmus Hojlund has named Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol at Old Trafford. Hojlund has completed a sensational £72 million move to the Manchester club from Serie A side Atalanta this summer.
The Danish striker's form last season for Austrian side Sturm Graz and Italian club Atalanta was impressive. Hojlund ended the campaign with 16 goals and seven assists in 42 games across competitions.
The youngster spoke about how he idolised Ronaldo growing up, telling United's media (via Manchester Evening News):
“My father pushed it over my head, and I started following everybody around the club, and, of course, I was very into Premier League football and everything around it.
"So, I kept watching, and of course, Cristiano (Ronaldo) was my idol when he was playing back then, so I kept following him, and, of course, kept following Manchester United."
Cristiano Ronaldo, apart from his generational talent and spectacular skills, is also known for his mentality and commitment to the game. When asked about which aspect of Ronaldo impressed him more, Hojlund replied:
"I think both. Definitely his mentality also. He had a rough childhood. He came through it. He wanted to be the best. He even just put it out there very early."
Much like Ronaldo, Hojlund arrives at Old Trafford as a little-known youngster in European football. If he can create an impact like the Portuguese legend did, Hojlund would go down in the club's history books.
How Rasmus Hojlund reacted to being unveiled as Manchester United player
Rasmus Hojlund was unveiled as a Manchester United player ahead of the Red Devils' pre-season friendly clash against RC Lens on August 5.
Hojlund, 20, expressed his happiness on meeting fans and reacted on what's perhaps the biggest moment of his young career. He tweeted:
"Let's get started. So happy to be part of the biggest club in the world! I want to say a huge thank you for the warm welcome at Old Trafford."
Marcus Rasford had to carry Manchester United's goalscoring responsibilities for the majority of the last season.
Hojlund's signing could take the pressure off the Englishman to some extent. The youngster, though, will be sidelined for a few weeks, as he suffered an injury while on pre-season with Atalanta.