Roy Keane left with egg on his face after Rasmus Hojlund comment before Man Utd vs Spurs

Rasmus Hojlund scored Manchester United’s opener against Spurs

Rasmus Hojlund delivered an instant response to Roy Keane’s questions about his shooting with an emphatic opener in Manchester United’s Premier League game against Tottenham.

£72m summer signing Hojlund took a while to find his shooting boots in the Premier League. The Danish international scored for fun in the Champions League despite United ‘s early elimination, but it took him more than a dozen games to open his domestic account.

Hojlund’s first goal in the English top flight was a crucial one, sealing a comeback victory over Aston Villa on Boxing Day, and he added a second in the opening five minutes against Spurs, putting United in front with an emphatic finish. The manner of the goal felt like a message to former club captain Keane, who had shared his concerns before kick-off.

“He’s been allowed some time now to bed himself into the club, into English football but now we’re talking about Man United,” the Irishman said on Sky Sports before kick-off. “You have to have that real desire to score goals, they went to Wigan [on Monday] and won 2-0 with a defender scoring and the second goal was a penalty.

“These players just don’t have the desire to score, and he’s not shown it. There have been players that have come to Manchester United and we’ve spoken about how ‘unlucky’ they are, but you can’t keep waiting.

“He’s had chances, he’s had an injury when he arrived and you might give him the benefit of the doubt but the shooting and scoring statistics are so poor, it’s unbelievable. It’s also down to the players around him, the more experienced ones that are used to the Premier League, I don’t see that desire in them.”

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United weren’t ahead long after Hojlund’s opener, with Richarlison heading home an equaliser for their opponents. It was 2-1 at the break, with Hojlund feeding Marcus Rashford for another go-ahead goal, but Rodrigo Bentancur delivered a second leveller just 50 seconds into the second half.

The result leaves the two teams separated by eight points, leaving United with work to do as they chase down a Champions League spot. They can’t qualify for the competition through their European results, either, having dropped out of Europe altogether after finsihing bottom of their group with just four points.

There were some other plus points for United, though, notably with the return to action of Lisandro Martinez after four months out injured. The centre-back was given a 30-minute run-out, while Casemiro also returned to the matchday squad after injury but remained on the bench.

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