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.

Copenhagen
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.

Sturm Graz
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.

Atalanta
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.

Manchester United
On 29 July, 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, 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, Højlund scored twice on his return to Parken in a 4–3 defeat to his former club Copenhagen. He became youngest player to score twice in an away Champions League match for Manchester United. 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 United, which coincided with his 21st birthday. A week later on 11 February, Højlund scored 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, Højlund scored a brace 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. After his performances in February, Højlund won the Premier League Player of the Month, becoming the first Danish player in Premier League history to win the award. On 21 April, Højlund scored the decisive penalty to send Manchester United to the 2024 FA Cup final during an FA Cup semi-final match against Coventry City that ended in a 3–3 draw after extra time. In the final on 25 May, Højlund won his first trophy with the club as he featured as a late substitute for Marcus Rashford, helping secure a 2–1 victory over local rivals Manchester City.

International career
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. Højlund was selected for Denmark's UEFA Euro 2024 squad, debuting in their opening fixture versus Slovenia.

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

International

 * Denmark score listed first, score column indicates score after each Højlund goal.

Honours
Copenhagen
 * Danish Superliga: 2021–22

Manchester United
 * FA Cup: 2023–24

Individual
 * Danish Talent of the Year: 2023
 * IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2023
 * Premier League Player of the Month: February 2024