Rasmus Hojlund passes verdict on Man Utd start as he waits for first Premier League goal

For those who like to judge a player by statistics, Rasmus Hojlund’s start to life at Manchester United has hardly been a headline-grabber.

It is no Bellingham-Real or Kane-Bayern, that is for sure. The 20-year-old Dane has yet to find the net in seven hours of Premier League football, has managed three goals in as many Champions League games but has yet to register an assist in any competition.

For a £72million signing, the numbers are not great - but, as is often the case, the numbers do not tell half the story. After his debut was delayed by a back injury, Hojlund has impressed supporters and pundits with his work-rate, his link play, his pace and his strength.

And Erik ten Hag has always said these are just the first steps on a steep learning curve for Hojlund.

And the young striker clearly agrees, admitting: “In the end, I am only 20 years old and I am not the finished article yet. I still have a lot to improve and I am getting there slowly. It (his start) has been alright. I’ve tried my best every time I play, and I still need to find the rhythm. “

Following that belated debut, there have been a couple of international breaks and it is clear Hojlund and Marcus Rashford are still getting to know each other’s games. But Hojlund believes their understanding is already getting better.

He says: “You can see we are trying to find each other. In the Sheffield (United) game, he nearly got an assist for me and I think he has already assisted me twice in the Champions League.

“We are definitely trying to find each other on the pitch and I also tried to find him with a deep pass against Copenhagen, so we have a good connection. I improve every day and my team-mates are starting to see my patterns in the game as well, so it is getting better and better every day.”

Ten Hag and United fans are going to have to be patient with the raw Dane but his attitude has already won plenty of admirers.

Hojlund continues: “I try to show personality and want to give 110 percent every time I play a football match, so maybe that is the reason why they (the fans) are showing a special bond towards me.”

And it helps that Hojlund clearly feels an incredibly strong connection to the club. He says: “I play for my boyhood club. I have always supported Manchester United so I am living my dream every day. It has gone fast but I have always had self-belief and I want to improve every day, and that is the reason why I am here. Hopefully I can keep my streak going upwards.”

Hojlund would certainly love to improve his statistics when United face City in Sunday’s Manchester derby.

“I am looking forward to it,” he says. “It is always special to play a rival and if we win the game, we can get closer to the top, so it would be nice.”

Hojlund’s favourite Manchester derby moment is the Wayne Rooney overhead volley but he knows he has a long way to go to start making that sort of impact and a long way to go before any meaningful comparisons with Erling Haaland are made.

He says: “Like I’ve said many times, I don’t want to be compared to him. He is incredible and probably the best striker in the world right now. But I hope I can improve and then we will see what I am capable of.”