Is Rasmus Hojlund quicker than Marcus Rashford? Man Utd’s £72m striker makes surprising speed claim

Rashford’s ability to race past opponents has helped him to become an established star at Old Trafford and an international performer with 55 England caps to his name. Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt is among his many admirers, with the Olympic gold medallist conceding that even he would struggle to live with Rashford’s pace over a short distance.

Hojlund – who joined United for £72 million ($89m) during the summer transfer window – says he is even quicker than Rashford, telling reporters when asked who would prevail in a race between the pair: “That’s me.” He added on linking up with Rashford in speedy counter-attacks: “We try to talk to each other and he knows I'm going to be there. He knows I can keep up with his pace when we go on the counter.”

Rashford has made a slow start to the 2023-24 campaign, with United often struggling as a collective, but Hojlund is backing a proven performer to come good. He added: “I really like and enjoy playing with him. He is a world-class player. He's a player I've looked up to, even though he's only a few years older than me. He has done well since he came in as a 19-year-old and scored against Midtjylland. I think he has been a great player ever since, and it is of course great that we are team-mates today.”

Rashford hit 30 goals for United across all competitions last season, earning him a new contract, but has just one effort to his name this term. Hojlund has delivered more end product for the Red Devils, with the 20-year-old Denmark international striker finding the target on three occasions through eight appearances.