Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund heaps praise on Napoli boss Antonio Conte

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Manchester United loanee to Napoli, Rasmus Hojlund praised his current manager Antonio Conte for helping him improve on his game and for raising the stakes much higher than what he found in the Premier League side. 

Speaking in an interview with Il Mattino (via Alfredo Pedulla), Hojlund was quick to acknowledge and appreciate Conte’s positive effect on him after joining Napoli on a loan last summer. The Dane found it hard to settle at Man United, and he underwent a 21-game goal drought that made the club question the signing. However, since arriving in Naples, the 23-year-old has found the net 12 times across all competitions. 

Hojlund claimed Conte to be the ‘right coach’ for him as he charted his own improvement journey from August. He said: “I still have a lot to learn, and I’m sure Conte is the right coach to help me grow in many ways. Compared to Rasmus in August, I’m a different player. I’m still improving, and even though I’m not very young, I’m sure I still have a lot of room for improvement.”

The Danish striker finds Conte to be an incredibly resilient coach, as his pushing hard mindset has certainly boded well with the player. Hojlund said: “He’s mentally incredibly strong. I’m fascinated by his mentality: he’s passionate, fierce. And he’s a winner. In fact, a serial winner. And if he doesn’t win, we immediately understand that we haven’t won.”

Hojlund joined the Partenopei on a €6 million fee for a season-long loan deal in the summer, and the club have the option to buy him for a reported €44 million transfer fee should they qualify for the Champions League next season. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is an unpredictable man when it comes to keeping players and selling them, but Hojlund has already made a good case for him to get a permanent move done this summer. 

Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN