Following a tough start to life at Old Trafford, Rasmus Højlund has made great strides since bagging his first Premier League goal for Manchester United on Boxing Day.

Looking back at his progress since leaving FC Copenhagen around the New Year in 2022, one wonders why his Danish club let such a talent go.

“We would have loved for him to stay, but he received an offer from Sturm Graz, which he chose to accept," says Sune Smith-Nielsen, Director of Development at FC Copenhagen, in an exclusive conversation with Tribalfootball.com.

At the time Rasmus Højlund was not a permanent fixture in the line-up at FC Copenhagen and it is always matter of timing and circumstance for any young talent, Smith-Nielsen adds.

“He was looking for more game time and chose to look for that in Austria. Two weeks later we sold Jonas Wind, who plays the same position, to Wolfsburg and the story around Højlund could have been completely different. But he obviously made the right move for him."

Having landed himself a contract with Manchester United, where he's been the go-to guy up front the whole season when fit, the potential obviously seems big. According to Sune Smith-Nielsen, that burning potential has always been present with Højlund. Though he also says this isn't the same as seeing said potential actually materialize into playing at the highest Premier League level.

“At that particular age-group between 17 and 21 some players take leaps which you just can't predict and it is not just a matter of game time. It is how they use that game time to actually improve their game. Some get better quickly; some don't improve even after 50 games.

“It's all about finding the right level and he is already playing for a top club in England. You can't go much higher than that and he is off to a good start. It'll be very exciting to follow," Sune Smith-Nielsen says.