"The dream became a reality"- Rasmus Hojlund sends message after making Manchester United debut in Arsenal loss
Rasmus Hojlund said he achieved his 'dream' by making his Manchester United debut in the Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday (September 3).
The Red Devils signed Hojlund from Atalanta for around £72 million this summer, but he had to wait for under a month to represent his new club due to injury. The 20-year-old was recovering from a back injury that kept him out of Manchester United's first three games. He came on as a 67th-minute substitute for Anthony Martial in his team's 3-1 loss at the Emirates.
The game was 1-1 when the Denmark international came on, but the Gunners scored two goals late in stoppage time to win all three points. The result was by no means an ideal one for the 20-time English first-division champions.
Hojlund failed to make a tangible impact, as he managed no shots on target, recorded no passes and lost all three duels. Nevertheless, he was happy to finally put on a Manchester United's shirt and make his debut.
The former Sturm Graz forward posted a message on Instagram:
"So proud to make my debut for @manchesterunited the Dream became a reality. Unlucky with the result today. … but we will bounce back after the international break. Now focus on (Denmark flag)"
Hojlund will now join Denmark's camp for their UEFA Euros 2024 qualifiers later this week.
Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund set for Denmark duty after Arsenal loss
Rasmus Hojlund would be glad that he got his first minutes for Manchester United right before the international break, albeit in a loss to Arsenal.
The former Atalanta forward is already a full international and has scored six goals in as many senior games. Unsurprisingly, manager Kasper Hjulmand named him in his squad for the upcoming games against San Marino (September 7) and Finland (September 10).
Denmark are third out of six teams in Group H with seven points from four games. The top two teams automatically qualify for the finals in Germany, with Finland and Kazakhstan first and second in the group, respectively.
The Danes made it to the semifinals in the 2020 edition of the tournament, losing 2-1 to England in extra time. That was by far their best finish in the competition since their surprise triumph at the 1992 Euros.
It was also the first time they made it out of the group stage of the European Championships since the 2004 edition, when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals.