Rasmus Hojlund believes he was not wanted by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and claims he was ‘put in a little bit of a box’ throughout 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.
Nevertheless, the Denmark international struggled to enhance in his second campaign at Old Trafford, scoring just 10 goals in 52 appearances.
Hojlund was allowed to hitch Napoli on a season-long loan last September and the Serie A club will make the move everlasting for £38m this summer in the event that they secure qualification for the Champions League.
The 23-year-old has thrived under Antonio Conte, scoring 14 goals in 37 appearances thus far this term, and insists the boldness 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.
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‘I got a team that believes in me lots. A club that believes in me lots. 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 used to be put in a little bit of a box at the tip in Manchester. I knew there wouldn’t be much football for me if it continued like this,’ Hojlund said.
‘I used to be joyful to play football in Manchester. I do 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 have a look at it.
‘It’s hard to not be in your phone. And if you happen to are in your phone, you’re certain to see what’s being written about you indirectly. It may be all kinds of places nowadays, but actually because you’re tagged in your Instagram or Facebook. So I’d say it will be a lie for me to say that you simply don’t get to read it.
‘The media has a lot to say on this football world, and it’s hard to not be influenced. But there’s lots 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 rather well. But inside myself my thoughts are in a totally different place. I’m self-critical. I still need to be even higher, more involved within the games and rating more goals, but it surely’s fun to look at how the image of me is consistently changing.
‘It’s clear that there may be also a difference between Napoli and Manchester United, especially in Denmark. But I actually have to live with the headlines – they’ll all the time be there because someone wants to make use of me as an eye-catcher.’
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