Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is one of three nominees for the Danish Footballer of the Year award following an ‘extraordinary’ breakthrough year from the Premier League newcomer.
In truth, it would have been a massive surprise if the £63 million signing from Atalanta did not make it into the chosen trio.
Alongside Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen and Barcelona’s former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen – Rasmus Hojlund’s rivals for the award – the Manchester United striker has been in outstanding form in the red of Denmark ever since forcing his way into the starting XI.
Only Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe have more than Hojlund’s seven goals in European Championship qualifying. Some company.
Those seven goals, meanwhile, have come in just six starts, Hojlund exploding onto the international scene with a hat-trick against Scandinavian neighbours Finland on his full Denmark debut.
Manchester United star nominated for award
“In Denmark, we are gifted with countless excellent footballers. But in the football year 2023, three of them stand out in particular,” reads a statement on the Danish Player’s Association website, Holjund nominated by his international team-mates for the end-of-year gong.
“According to the players – the true experts – Joachim Andersen, Rasmus Hojlund and Andreas Christensen have been extraordinary. And that is why the three national team players have been nominated for the award as Male Soccer Player of the Year 2023.
“20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund has had his international breakthrough in 2023. Those performances (for Atalanta) helped pave the way for the switch to favourite club, Manchester United, and the Premier League.
“Wearing the United shirt, he is currently top scorer in the Champions League. Just as he is in the national team. The hat-trick against Finland back in March ’23 must be vivid in the memory of most Danish football lovers.”
Seven goals in six Denmark starts for Rasmus Hojlund
Should Hojlund fight off Christensen and Andersen, he will join the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Daniel Agger, Kasper Schmeichel and Manchester United playmaker Christian Eriksen in the Danish history books.
Both Hojlund and Eriksen are missing from the current Denmark squad, however, forced to pull out of the November internationals through injury.
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