Ex-Man United star Paul Scholes says Rasmus Hojlund was a shining light on a bad night for the Red Devils, claiming the Danish striker reminded him of Red Devil’s legend Ruud van Nistelrooy

• Paul Scholes has compared Rasmus Hojlund to Dutch icon Ruud van Nistelrooy
• The talented Dane was a bright spot on a difficult night for Manchester United
• Click HERE to listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ 

Paul Scholes has compared Rasmus Hojlund to former Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Danish striker scored twice and had a goal disallowed during their 3-2 defeat by Galatasaray on Tuesday night. 

The Dane was perhaps the shining light on a bad night, heading in a fiery cross from Marcus Rashford before charging the length of the field to dink the ball over Fernando Muslera in goal for his second. 

After the match, Scholes admitted his disappointment on United losing their first Champions League match of the season at Old Trafford but said that he was excited by some of what he saw from Erik ten Hag’s team. 

‘You’re normally really disappointed,’ he said to lose your first home Champions League match. 

But he added: ‘I think I saw enough tonight in a team that excited me. Hojlund, especially them two goals. 

Rasmus Hojlund scored a brace and had another disallowed in United’s 3-2 defeat on Tuesday

Paul Scholes has lauded the striker comparing him to Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy

Scholes heaped praise on Hojlund claiming that he ‘absolutely loved (Hojlund’s) second goal’

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‘He took the two goals brilliantly. I absolutely loved the second goal, he gave the centre-half no chance, clean pair of heels and his finish – a composed finish. We also had a goal that got disallowed. 

‘And I thought, ‘Wow there’s a bit of Van Nistelrooy in there.”

The Dutch striker returned a whopping 150 goals in 219 appearances for United across all competitions during a five year spell at the club. 

He notably clinched the Premier League’s Golden Boot award, scoring 25 goals in the 2002-03 season ultimately helping United to the Premier League title. 

Hojlund, meanwhile, who did look clinical tonight up top for the Red Devils, does still have some way to go to catch Van Nistelrooy. 

The 20-year-old could have had another one on Tuesday night, after Mason Mount slid a fantastic pass into the forward who was stood on the edge of the six-yard box. 

Hojlund dropped his shoulder to evade a defender before firing the ball into the back of the net with an excellent piece of skill, but it would not count, with the forward being ruled to be offside by the officials. 

‘It’s about getting in there, for me,’ the striker told the club’s website after the match. ‘I always try to get into the the dangerous positions.

Hojlund broke away from the defence and went one-on-one with the Galatasaray goalkeeper before chipping over him

After the match he said: ‘I’ve been bought to be scoring goals and now I was happy that I got two more down today’

‘I’ve been bought to be scoring goals and now I was happy that I got two more down today. But again if we talk about Marcus.

‘He (now) knows that I can keep up with his pace when we go on the counter, and we saw a glimpse of that today.’

Adding on the second goal, he said: ‘Yeah, it was a good feeling,’ said the 20-year-old, describing the emotion of scoring at the Stretford End for the first time.

‘It was an incredible goal. I like to call that a signature Rasmus goal, you know, on the left side running a lot.’

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