When it comes to international breaks, there aren’t a lot of good things to say. One positive though, are the random candid soundbites that players sometimes make while on international duty. Maybe footballers feel they can drop their inhibitions a bit, while they’re overseas, and away from their clubs. Perhaps this concept might have been at work when Rasmus Hojlund brutally slammed his former club.
Hojlund scored just four goals in Premier League play last season at Manchester United. This summer, he moved over to Napoli, on a season long loan with an obligation to buy, for £38 million.
It took him just six games to score four goals in a Napoli shirt, across all competitions this season.
That includes the brace that he bagged in a UEFA Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon, and his debut, where it took him just 14 minutes to open his account.
Currently on international duty with Denmark right now, Hojlund was asked what led to his improvement in form.
“Not much has happened other than me getting into a good football team,” the 22-year-old striker responded.
Pretty cold-blooded there.
Hojlund continued: “I’ve played a lot and it’s been going really well. I’ve felt fit and sharp.
“I’ve made sure I was ready, and I did a lot of things off the pitch during my summer break to be ready for the upcoming season.
“I don’t know if there is a difference. In the subconscious, there may be. But I always try to tell myself that I am a good footballer who can always score goals, regardless of whether I haven’t scored in 20 games or I am in the group I am in now.”
This is a mental game, no doubt about it. The muscle that always needs to be working best is the brain, no doubt about it.
Denmark manager Brian Reimer put forth a similar sentiment, and made a remark that also can only be read as a slam against United.
““The fact that he is now on a well-functioning team and has players around him who take pride in doing good for others helps to make the outcome for a striker like Rasmus, who needs to be serviced,” Reimer said.
“It is more important than which league you play in.”
Reimer has a point, of course, but it is worth noting that Hojlund did much better in Serie A (with Atalanta) before moving to United, where he completely flopped. Now he’s back in the Italian top flight, and thriving.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires 4etwork. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter