“Everyone hates him” – Former Man Utd player makes big Rasmus Højlund statement

Rasmus Højlund scored his first Premier League goal as Manchester United won 3-2 against Aston Villa on Tuesday evening.

The United centre-forward placed a measured side-footed volley from inside the area into the far left corner to seal the victory for his side.

Højlund has been criticised widely in recent weeks after going 14 Premier League fixtures without scoring a goal, despite his five-goal tally in the Champions League.

Former United defender Paul Parker believes that the 20-year-old forward has been targeted due to the club that he plays for, but that support from the Old Trafford faithful has been beneficial to him.

“Everyone hates Manchester United and Rasmus Højlund,” Parker told Tipsbladet. “Experts and critics hope that he fails because he plays for the world’s biggest club, which nobody likes.

“The good thing is that the fans have always supported him, and they will continue to do so.”

Despite the widespread criticism, Højlund is back to being the club’s joint-top goalscorer with Scott McTominay in a campaign where goalscoring has been difficult to come by for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Parker has suggested that service to the Danish forward must improve and states that critics will not be swayed after his winner against Aston Villa.

“I think he has been frustrated with his teammates because they don’t provide him with the best conditions to score goals,” he added.

“The good thing about Højlund is that he doesn’t show it on the field, and he never behaves like a diva, which we have seen especially Cristiano Ronaldo do in the past.

“I think he might face a tough time now. If you think the critics will be quiet, you are mistaken. Expectations are higher for him now, and everyone will expect him to score consistently.

“So, I believe that the next goal, if possible, will be even more important but also more challenging for him because he has to prove that it wasn’t a lucky punch.”