Hojlund set to face hometown club

The pacy 20-year-old forward has looked assured in his nine appearances so far for the club he supported as a boy, with Christian Eriksen recently declaring his compatriot has been a “wise purchase” who fits perfectly into our style of play.

All three of Hojlund’s goals for the Reds so far have come in the Champions League – and he’ll no doubt be relishing the chance to add to that tally when his first club FC Copenhagen come to Old Trafford this evening (Tuesday).

As a talented teenager, Hojlund played 32 times for his hometown club between 2020 and 2022, scoring five goals and helping them win the Danish title. He moved on to Sturm Graz in Austria and then Italian club Atalanta, playing his part in the latter finishing fifth in Serie A last season.

Penning a five-year-deal with the Reds in August, Hojlund became our third summer signing after Mason Mount and Andre Onana.

Ahead of his reunion with Copenhagen, here's a reminder of Rasmus's career so far...

EARLY DAYS IN DENMARK

Rasmus played academy football for Horsholm-Usserod Idraetsforening and Brondby, before eventually landing at FC Copenhagen, where he began to make an impact.

The striker broke into the first team in October 2020, aged just 17, and finished his debut season with a handful of senior appearances including four in Denmark's Superligaen.

Two of the five goals Hojlund scored during his two seasons in the Danish capital came in the Europa Conference League. He also collected his first winner's medal after helping Jess Thorup's side to claim the 2021/22 Superligaen title – although by that time, he'd already moved on.

AUSTRIA AWAITS

Sturm Graz moved quickly to secure the striker's services in January 2022.

He impressed with the Austrian top-flight side, scoring 12 goals in 21 appearances, including one in a Champions League qualifying defeat to Dynamo Kyiv.

BERGAMO BECKONS

The Dane's exploits in Austria attracted other European clubs and in August that year, Hojlund signed for Atalanta on a five-year contract.

During his time in Italy, he became known for his tall frame and electric pace, with some pundits comparing him to his fellow Scandinavian, Erling Haaland.

In his 34 outings for Atalanta, he netted 10 goals – many of them as an impact sub – and registered four assists.

Rasmus's maiden strike for the Bergamo club came on 5 September 2022 in a 2-0 win over Monza. In January 2023, he scored four goals in four consecutive fixtures, as he nailed down a regular place in the starting line-up.

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN RED

Erik ten Hag snapped up Hojlund in August and he was presented on the pitch before our pre-season friendly against RC Lens. Soon after he talked to us about being pictured in a United shirt as a youngster and his early memories of watching the Reds play.

After a swift recovery from a minor injury sustained in pre-season, Rasmus made his debut as a second-half substitute in September’s defeat at Arsenal, before scoring on his first start for us in the Champions League tie at Bayern Munich later in the month.

United fans were already enjoying what they were seeing from the direct, dynamic forward but he made a wider audience sit up and take notice with his overall performance and two goals against Galatasaray earlier this month, the second of which was a belter.

INTERNATIONAL EXPLOITS

Having made his debut for Denmark as a substitute against Croatia in September 2022, Hojlund started a senior international match for the first time on 23 March 2023. The 20-year-old marked the occasion by scoring a hat-trick – his first three goals for his country – as the Danes beat Finland 3-1 in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.

Rasmus followed that triple with a further two strikes against Kazakhstan three days later. Hojlund now has 10 senior caps on his CV after appearing for his country four more times since joining United, most recently scoring in Denmark's win over San Marino last week.