Rasmus Højlund

Rasmus Winther Højlund (born 4 February 2003) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Manchester United and the Denmark national team.

Højlund graduated from Copenhagen's youth academy, making his first-team debut for the club aged 17 in October 2020.

After scoring five goals in 32 appearances for Copenhagen, he joined Austrian club Sturm Graz in January 2022.

Later that year, he was signed by Atalanta for €17 million.

Højlund played youth international football for Denmark from under-16 to under-21 level.

He made his senior international debut in September 2022.

Højlund was born in Copenhagen and grew up in Hørsholm, Capital Region.

He played youth football for Hørsholm-Usserød Idrætsklub and Brøndby, before joining Copenhagen's youth system.

He made his professional debut for Copenhagen at the age of 17 on 25 October 2020.

During the 2021–22 season, he made his debut in European competitions, contributing five goals in the UEFA Europa Conference League across qualification rounds and the tournament proper.

In January 2022, Højlund joined Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz for a reported fee of €1.8 million.

He scored 12 goals in 21 games across all competitions during the remainder of the 2021–22 season and the start of the 2022–23 season.

On 27 August 2022, Højlund signed with Serie A club Atalanta in a deal worth a reported €17 million.

He scored his first goal for Atalanta on 5 September in a 2–0 away win over Monza.

Initially confined to a substitute role at the beginning of the season, he carved out a place for himself in the squad due to the poor form and injuries of usual starter, Duván Zapata.

In January 2023, he went on to deliver several convincing performances, notably scoring four goals in four consecutive games.

On 29 July 2023, Premier League side Manchester United agreed a deal to sign Højlund from Atalanta for an initial £64 million fee plus £8 million in performance related add-ons, with the player agreeing a five year deal with the option of an extra year.

He was then announced officially as a United player on 5 August 2023, subject to international clearance.

Højlund made his debut on 3 September 2023, replacing Anthony Martial in the 67th minute of a Premier League match against Arsenal, which ended in a 3–1 defeat.

On 20 September, Højlund scored his first goal for the club in a 4–3 away defeat against Bayern Munich in the opening match of the 2023–24 Champions League.

In United's second Champions League fixture against Galatasaray at Old Trafford, he scored twice as United lost 3–2, and was named man of the match despite the loss.

On 8 November, he scored twice on his return to Parken as Manchester United lost 4–3 to his former club FC Copenhagen.

On 26 December, Højlund scored his first Premier League goal, scoring the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

On 4 February 2024, Højlund scored the opener in Manchester United's 3–0 victory over West Ham, which coincided with his 21st birthday.

A week later on 11 February, Højlund scored the opener against Aston Villa in a 2–1 away victory.

In doing so, he became the second-youngest player to ever score in five successive Premier League appearances, only behind Nicolas Anelka.

On 18 February 2024, Højlund scored his first regular season brace for the club in a 2–1 victory over Luton Town, making him the youngest player to score in six consecutive Premier League games ahead of Joe Willock's previous record.

On 8 March, it was announced that Højlund had won the Premier League Player of the Month becoming the first Danish player in Premier League history to win the award.

In September 2022, Højlund played his first international matches for Denmark against Croatia and France during the UEFA Nations League.

On 23 March 2023, he made his first international start, scoring a hat-trick in a 3–1 win against Finland during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, his first goals for his country.

He ended the qualification phase as Denmark's top-scorer with seven goals.

His younger twin brothers, Emil and Oscar, are both footballers with his former club, Copenhagen.

Copenhagen

Individual