Getting a word in during Christmas at the Hojlund family household could be quite difficult in a few years’ time.
While older brother Rasmus has very much made it as a footballer, well ahead of schedule – a £73m 20-year-old tasked with leading the line for Manchester United for years to come – younger twins Emil and Oscar are at the very start of their career path.
But being a Hojlund and blessed with even more natural talent than their older brother, the 18-year-old Copenhagen pair are well set to embark on another astounding rise to Europe’s elite.
First up, however, is the outside possibility of three brothers being on the same pitch, as United welcome Copenhagen for their Champions League tie on Tuesday night, for the first time in European Cup history.
“The Hojlunds are just built differently,” Cristian Mouroux, sporting director at Horsholm Usserod Idraetsklub, where all three brothers spent their formative years, tells i.
“They all have a work ethic like nobody here has ever seen. That is what brought Rasmus to where he is today, but the brothers have that same drive. That comes from both the mum and dad.
“They are both super-engaged in their development and they are super aware of what the requirements are to get to the top.
“We have Brian and Michael Laudrup here in Denmark as the amazing brother story, but three of them? Wow.”
Rasmus Hojlund’s career trajectory is simply extraordinary. In January 2022, a wide-eyed youngster was allowed to leave Copenhagen for €1.8m (£1.5m), without having scored a single league goal in Denmark.
Less than two years later and one of the biggest clubs in the world see the 20-year-old as the man to drag a stuttering behemoth of the global game out of perennial crises.
Remarkably, however, for a man who helped steer the Hojlunds on ascension to stardom, it was Emil and Oscar who turned more heads as they learned their trade on the outskirts of Copenhagen.
“Like Rasmus, they played in the older age groups,” Mouroux continues. “Both Emil and Oscar were part of a very talented group, where several players went on to be professional footballers.
“That helped the twins with their development and it helped other clubs looking at them. They were further ahead in their development than Rasmus. Both of them had a strong technical ability.”
So what is in the water at the Hojlunds? What are they eating for breakfast? As always in these cases, there is a support network that has set all three brothers up for an elite footballer’s career.
Dad Anders, who played to a high level himself, was a carpenter by trade and built a pitch in the basement for when the Danish winters got too harsh, while mum Kirsten, an elite 100 metres sprinter in her day, was the family driving force.
“The family have the setup, the dedication, knowhow, mindset and football obsession to go all the way,” Mouroux adds.
“The family are all driven, as one, to get the boys to the top. There was always a Hojlund on our pitches.
“We’re not talking about normal training, we are talking after hours. They never stop. Improvement is what they are always chasing.”
In reality, the chances of all three taking to the hallowed Old Trafford turf tonight is extremely unlikely. While Rasmus will almost certainly start, Emil and Oscar were only promoted to the Copenhagen squad this season and are very much on the periphery of the team.
That does not mean the trio will not face off with regularity in the years to come. In fact, for those who know the family best, it is a near certainty we will see Hojlund versus Hojlund long into the future.
“Having worked in talent development for over a decade now, I believe if any family can get three players into top European clubs, it will be that family,” Mouroux adds. “Both Emil and Oscar are under-19 players, so they are well ahead of time.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/XR51BL0
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