Manchester United and Denmark midfielder, Christian Eriksen, has given his two cents on the Red Devils’ incoming new striker, Rasmus Højlund, after the club reportedly reached an agreement to sign the young Dane last week.
Rasmus Winther Højlund had been one of a number of centre-forwards on Man United‘s list of transfer targets over the past few months, alongside the likes of England captain Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
However, after interest in the Premier League marksman and Serie A’s top goalscorer seems to have cooled, United stepped up their pursuit of the Atlanta striker and managed to get a deal over the line on Sunday, 30 July for an estimated fee of £72 million including add-ons.
Ahead of Højlund flying to Manchester on Tuesday afternoon to finalise his move, according to Sky Sports, his fellow compatriot and soon-to-be United teammate, Christian Eriksen, shed some light on what fans can expect from their inbound signing.
Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen shares his thoughts on potential new signings Rasmus Hojland and Andre Onana 💭✍️ pic.twitter.com/y0gbo1rkQP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 31, 2023
Eriksen shares his thoughts on what Højlund might bring to Old Trafford.
Speaking to media after Erik ten Hag and co.’s final pre-season game against Borussia Dortmund (which ended in a 3-2 defeat), the 31-year-old admitted that while he hadn’t seen much of the football he played over in Italy last season, the youngster has left a good impression on international duty.
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“He’s a strong number nine and has developed a lot in the last year from when I first saw him with the national team”, Eriksen told the likes of Simon Peach and Melissa Reddy in the post-match interviews.
Labelling him a “nice guy” and “very good player” already, the creative midfielder who arrived at Old Trafford last year said Højlund is turning into an out-and-out striker both for his national team and Atalanta, joking that many might not have heard him prior to the transfer rumours because of the lake of media attention in Denmark.
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Many supporters were also pleased to learn recently that it isn’t just his finishing ability they can look forward to (being dubbed by some as ‘the next Haaland‘) but that he always has quite the turn of pace when his legs get going — the fastest in the Atalanta squad and faster than Rashford in some instances.
How Rasmus Højlund's top speed compares to the fastest #mufc players last season:
– 𝐇ø𝐣𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐝: 𝟑𝟓.𝟗𝟕 𝐤𝐦/𝐡 – Rashford: 35.95 km/h – Dalot: 35.76 km/h – Antony: 35.29 km/h – Shaw: 34.85 km/h – Malacia: 34.76 km/h
Although many have laughed off the comparison between Højlund and Haaland — the former registering scoring 16 goals and seven assists in 41 appearances last season compared to the Norwegian’s record-breaking Premier League tally and 41 goals in the same number of games at his age — there’s clearly a lot of buzz around the soon-to-be-announced signing.
The young forward is expected to be announced imminently after apparently arriving in Manchester to sign on the dotted line, as per Fabrizio Romano, and will reportedly sign a five-year contract with an option of extending for a further year.
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If you want a better idea of the kind of player United are getting their hands on, you can watch Rasmus Højlund highlights from the 2022/23 season down below:
He might not quite be the ‘next Haaland’ but he doesn’t look half bad.
Kyle Walker announces retirement from international football with England at 35
Danny Jones
Former Manchester City star and England defender has announced his retirement from international football at 35 years old.
He calls it a day for his country with nearly a century of appearances.
Kyle Walker, who has won six Premier Leagues, four Carabao trophies, a pair of FA Cups and a Champions League title with Man City, made his national team debut back in 2011.
Now, nearly a full decade and a half later, he is hanging up his boots on the biggest stage, retiring as England’s most capped right back in history.
As you can see, he confirmed the news in a highlight video looking back on her best moments with the Three Lions.
Sharing a lengthy and emotional statement in the caption, the Yorkshireman wrote: “After more than a decade representing my country, I have decided to retire from international football. Playing for England has always been the biggest honour of my career and something I will always be proud of.
“Thank you to every teammate, coach, manager, the 12th man, and everyone behind the scenes who has been part of the journey. Every roar from the fans pushed the team along, and I’m looking forward to joining them to support the lads in the World Cup.”
His last appearance in an England shirt came in June against Senegal, since dropping out of manager Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice team and future plans, with both form and age no doubt being factored into that decision.
Walker added: “The memories in an England shirt will stay with me forever.”
96 caps 🧢 Five major tournaments 🏴 A #ThreeLions legend ⭐
He went on to sign off by saying, “I also want to thank my family for their support every step of the way. They have made this journey even more special, and I will always be grateful to have shared it with them.”
The Sheffield-born fullback left Manchester last year following a loan spell at AC Milan, before joining fellow Premier League side Burnley FC permanently this past July.
Meanwhile, the Clarets are staring down relegation back to the Championship; however, this step will no doubt help Walker prolong his club career, whether or not he stays in Lancashire.
Where does Walker rank among the all-time England defenders in your mind?
Featured Images — Oleg Bkhambri (via Wikimedia Commons)/England (screenshot via YouTube)
Sport
Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French out for around four months with major muscle injury
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors player Bevan French has unfortunately been ruled out for roughly four months following a fairly serious muscle injury.
An important playmaker and cog in the wider team, his absence will surely be felt.
French, 30, is said to have suffered a hamstring tear during the win over Toulouse Olympique this past weekend, and while not as severe as a full rupture, Bevan has now been told by the club he will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, according to head coach Matt Peet.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after learning the news, he provided a number of updates from the physio room, including the latest on Jai Field, who French had been filling in for at fullback.
While Wigan are currently leading the Super League once again, they will be without one of their key Warriors with just under a dozen games left in the season.
The Greater Manchester club’s quadruple-winning boss and former Coach of the Year admitted that, despite some obvious disappointments in the immediate aftermath, his “positive” and “philosophical” attitude has already kicked in.
He’s quite philosophical, Bevan. He quickly flips a switch.
“Now he knows the timeframe and the schedule for his recovery, like most professionals, he can get his head down now and focus on the present”, said the 41-year-old.
The Australian stand-off/fly-half has regularly run the show in red and white, and even amid periods out of the squad, he remains an understandable fan favourite and integral part of the team when fit.
You only need to hear pundits and peers alike describing him as a “special” talent to know how much of a big miss he’ll be.
As mentioned, Peet also shed more light on Field, who dropped out with appendicitis last week and is himself set for around four to five weeks away.
For now, youngster Noah Hodkinson is being given the chance to fill the void and work his way into the first team after regularly impressing in the reserves.
Nevertheless, they could have really done with him ahead of their upcoming games.
Domestically, all three of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens aren’t far behind them in the table, so it could prove to be a tasty remainder of the 2026 campaign.
You can watch the highlights from the result against Toulouse on Saturday, 7 March, here.
Danny Jones -
1st August 2023 
