I feel lucky to play alongside De Bruyne – Hojlund

By Emmanuel Okogba

Napoli striker Rasmus Hojlund has hailed teammate Kevin De Bruyne as a “special talent” after the Belgian midfielder provided both assists in the Italian side’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Sporting CP.

Højlund, who scored a brace to secure the win, credited De Bruyne’s vision and passing ability for making his job in front of goal easier.

“Playing with a talent like De Bruyne is special,” the Danish forward said. “Anytime he has the ball, all I have to do is attack the space and I know he’s going to get me the ball. I feel lucky to play alongside someone with his quality.”

De Bruyne’s trademark precision was on full display in Lisbon, threading a perfectly timed through ball for Hojlund’s opener before delivering a pinpoint cross that the striker headed home to restore Napoli’s lead in the second half. The combination evoked memories of De Bruyne’s fruitful partnership with Erling Haaland during his time at Manchester City.

“They’re quite similar,” De Bruyne said when asked to compare Haaland and Hojlund. “Erling is Erling, and what he’s done in his career is unbelievable. They both like to attack the space. Erling probably a little bit more, while Rasmus likes to come meet the ball sometimes.”

For Hojlund, the performance marked a welcome turnaround after a challenging spell at Manchester United, where he struggled to find consistency following a high-profile move from Atalanta. Since joining Napoli on loan, the 21-year-old has found form, netting three goals in five appearances across all competitions.

The post I feel lucky to play alongside De Bruyne – Hojlund appeared first on Vanguard News.