"The player has to prove it" - Erik ten Hag sends strong message to Rasmus Hojlund after Manchester United move
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has tasked Rasmus Hojlund with fulfilling his potential after the club unveiled the Danish striker.
Hojlund was presented at Old Trafford as a new United player ahead of Ten Hag's side's 3-1 pre-season friendly win over RC Lens. The 20-year-old earned a rousing welcome from Red Devils supporters.
Manchester United have paid Atalanta £72 million including add-ons for Hojlund. He becomes the club's most expensive signing under the age of 21 and Ten Hag is sure he will live up to expectations.
The Red Devils boss spoke after watching his side beat Lens comfortably. He suggested to MUTV that he can help ease the goalscoring burden on Marcus Rashford:
"(Hojlund's a) very good presser, (has) physical prescence and I think in the balance of this squad we needed that. Alongside Rashford he's another player who's direct and wants to score goals."
Ten Hag was asked about Hojlund's potential which he reckons is massive. However, he insisted that it was up to the young forward to reach it:
"I think he has huge potential and now it's up to him to exploit it and we will all support him. The player has to prove it. He is a player whose determined to score goals and win trophies."
Hojlund bagged 10 goals in 34 games across competitions for Atalanta last season. He is a clever center-forward who uses his speed and positioning to cause issues in and around the box.
Manchester United have been longing for a striker who can be up top for the long term. Ten Hag stressed the need for a new goalscorer throughout his side's pre-season tour of the United States.
However, Hojlund isn't the finished article and he is still undergoing his development. Ten Hag will now work with the Denmark international to help him grow and flourish at Old Trafford.
Rio Ferdinand urges patience with Manchester United's new boy Hojlund
The expectations are high following Hojlund's capture and the Danish frontman will be expected to live up to his huge price tag. However, reports claim that the Red Devils will be without the forward for a while as he has a knock from pre-season with Atalanta.
Rio Ferdinand has caught Hojlund in action during his time in Serie A and has backed him to be a success. He played down the fee his former club have paid for the player (via 90min):
"I mentioned him maybe six months or eight months ago, I saw glimpses of him at Atalanta. There were elements of his game you could see were Premier League - mobility, pace, direct, can finish, aggressive, young, hungry - but I didn't see that price tag. That's that English, Man Utd price tag."
However, the Manchester United icon wants fans to not place too much pressure on the young striker so early in his career:
"You don't want to put the pressure on the kid, but you're Man Utd's number nine now. Whatever we say doesn't matter, there's pressure. I'm just hoping that he hits the ground, gets some confidence early and doesn't get knocked off his stride."
Hojlund has excluded confidence and personality in interviews and could just be the long-term striker that has long evaded Manchester United. He is viewed by the higher-ups as a diamond in the rough and a player that Ten Hag can transform into a top talent.