Hojlund is becoming Man Utd’s Haaland – Gary Neville

Robin Bairner

• 19 Feb 2024 08:11 GMT
• 2 min read

Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund is becoming the Red Devils’ equivalent of prolific Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, according to Gary Neville.

Hojlund has scored in six successive Premier League matches, making him the youngest player ever to achieve that feat.

Haaland, meanwhile, has been scoring at the rate of a goal a game for City since arriving at the Etihad Stadium 18 months ago, smashing all kinds of records and leading Pep Guardiola’s side to the treble in the process.

Neville is now becoming increasingly convinced that Hojlund can have a similar impact at Old Trafford.

“Hojlund looked like a Haaland in the making - that power, that strength and aggression in his running. I've always like that about a Manchester United centre-forward,” he told Sky Sports after watching the 21-year-old bag two goals in Sunday’s Premier League encounter against Luton Town.

Ten Hag on Haaland

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag similarly praised the striker in the aftermath of the 2-1 victory.

“We recruited him on his character,” Ten Hag said of Hojlund. “I knew it was strong. He can really perform under stress and that is something you need as a Manchester United striker. He doesn’t get nervous or lose confidence. He has a lot of confidence and I’m sure he will score even more.

“He needed support but he kept calm. He was unlucky at the start. You see he’s a fighter, he keeps going. There are many areas where he can improve but his scoring ability is clear.”

Hojlund is now up to seven Premier League goals for the season, but while this tally is relatively small, his trajectory in recent weeks has been impressive. No player in England is in such strong form.

Next up for Man Utd is a home encounter against Fulham as they chase a fifth successive Premier League win.