Rasmus Hojlund aims dig at Ruben Amorim over Man Utd exit | Football

Rasmus Hojlund believes he was not wanted by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and claims he was ‘put in a bit of a box’ during the end of his time at Old Trafford.

Hojlund joined United in a £72 million deal from Atalanta in 2023 and scored 16 goals in his first season in England.

However, the Denmark international struggled to improve in his second campaign at Old Trafford, scoring just 10 goals in 52 appearances.

Hojlund was allowed to join Napoli on a season-long loan last September and the Serie A club will make the move permanent for £38m this summer if they secure qualification for the Champions League.

The 23-year-old has thrived under Antonio Conte, scoring 14 goals in 37 appearances so far this term, and insists the confidence from Napoli’s head coach was a key decision behind his return to Serie A.

‘I got what I wanted with my transfer,’ Hojlund said in an interview with TV2.

‘I got a team that believes in me a lot. A club that believes in me a lot. A sporting director, a president and a coach who wants me.’

Hojlund also believes his bleak future at United was made clear after Amorim left him out of the team’s Premier League opening game against Arsenal in August.

‘I was put in a bit of a box at the end in Manchester. I knew there wouldn’t be much football for me if it continued like this,’ Hojlund said.

‘I was happy to play football in Manchester. I know that, especially in Denmark, a media image was formed that it was all just s*** and terrible, and that I played like a bag of nuts, but that’s not how I look at it.

‘It’s hard not to be on your phone. And if you are on your phone, you’re bound to see what’s being written about you in some way. It can be all sorts of places these days, but often because you’re tagged on your Instagram or Facebook. So I would say it would be a lie for me to claim that you don’t get to read it.

‘The media has so much to say in this football world, and it’s hard not to be influenced. But there’s a lot more behind it, and that’s why I return to the importance of never flying too high and, conversely, never diving too low.

‘Now it’s portrayed as if I’m back and just doing really well. But inside myself my thoughts are in a completely different place. I’m self-critical. I still want to be even better, more involved in the games and score more goals, but it’s fun to observe how the image of me is constantly changing.

‘It’s clear that there is also a difference between Napoli and Manchester United, especially in Denmark. But I have to live with the headlines – they will always be there because someone wants to use me as an eye-catcher.’

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