Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has admitted that he has seen a sharp improvement in summer signing Rasmus Hojlund recently.
The Dane went into Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa at Villa Park having scored in each of his last four Premier League appearances. His opener in last weekend’s 3-0 win over West Ham United marked his 10th goal in all competitions this season.
Hojlund, who was signed from Atalanta for an initial fee of £64million in August, has benefitted from playing in a mostly settled forward line in recent weeks, joining forces with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. That, ahead of the tussle with Villa, resulted in him having scored five goals in his last six games.
As a result of finding form in front of goal, Keane believes it is clear that the 21-year-old’s confidence levels have soared in recent weeks, praising several attributes within his game. As well as praising his recent form, he also highlighted the importance of him maintaining his form in front of goal to ensure United stand any chance of securing a Champions League place for next season.
Asked if he is starting to deliver, Keane told Sky Sports: “Absolutely. What every striker needs is a few goals to get that confidence, that belief, and he has got that over the last four or five games.
“He looks a different player. He looks strong, aggressive, he’s taking his chances, he’s got the desire to score a goal and if you look at him, he is a big, strong boy.
“I think it was tough when he first came to the club. If you think about it, he arrived on the back of an injury and he came into a United team not playing with any great belief and they weren’t creating that many chances for him.
“But he has turned that around in the last few weeks through hard work and a bit of desire. His confidence [has improved]; when you put the ball in the back of the net, it just lifts it. If United want to get in the top four or five, then he has to continue scoring goals.”