Rasmus Hojlund on Napoli: “Conte is exactly what I need right now” | OneFootball

Napoli returned to the Serie A summit this weekend with a 2-1 win over Genoa. Continuing a great formative run of form, Rasmus Hojlund scored the winner and spoke to Radio Crc after the match.

The Dane’s 75th-minute strike followed Frank Zambo Anguissa levelling things up after Jeff Ekhator’s first-half opener, and arrived as his fourth for the new club and his second in the league. Hojlund began by talking about his finish that sent the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona into raptures.

“The goal? I held onto the ball well, and it was very important to score. It was great to score the winning goal. The fans here are fantastic: it’s a historic stadium, and I’m very happy to be here.”

While the goal was a great moment for all involved, the 22-year-old also pointed out that beating Genoa was no easy feat. “I think Genoa did well. They were brave. They played man-for-man. Congratulations to them. But we need to win these games, so I’m very happy with the three points.”

So far in Napoli colours, Hojlund has been welcomed into a great team atmosphere. This has been helped by the experience of Kevin De Bruyne, who assisted his fellow former Manchester resident against Sporting in the Champions League.

When asked about the Belgian, the forward continued, “He’s a fantastic player, probably one of the best to play with. I just have to run into space, and I know he’ll put the ball there. Compared to Haaland? That’s a huge compliment; he’s one of the best strikers in the world right now.”

Of course, another major aspect of Napoli’s table-topping form has been Antonio Conte. After a tricky time at Old Trafford, the 56-year-old manager has been just the remedy to reinstall the fire and passion into Hojlund’s career.

“I’m very happy to be here. I had to learn a lot of new things when I joined this team. I haven’t found my place yet, but I’m really happy with this group. I think they’re helping me every day, calming me down and helping me with the little things. Conte is exactly what I need right now in my career. We met at the right time.”

GIFN | Max Bradfield