Speed counts for a lot in modern football and Manchester United have one of the quickest players in Europe.
England take on Denmark at Euro 2024 in the Three Lions’ next match and there has been lots of discussion about absentee defender Harry Maguire, omitted from the tournament due to injury.
This denies us the chance to see Maguire take on clubmate Rasmus Hojlund, who is searching for his first goal of the tournament.
Hojlund was praised in the Danish media for ‘working like an ox’ in their draw with Slovenia, and his industrious efforts were illustrated by his sprint speed.
Fastest players at Euro 2024
Euro 2024 kicked off last Friday and every single team has played at least one match. Some have already played their second games.
UEFA has been collating data from the tournament, measuring the top speed of players at the tournament.
The quickest is Romania striker Valentin Mihaila, while Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund ranks inside the top five, edging out Kylian Mbappe.
Player | Country | Club | Top Speed (km/h) |
Valentin Mihaila | Romania | Parma | 35.9 |
Dan Ndoye | Switzerland | Bologna | 35.4 |
Rasmus Hojlund | Denmark | Manchester United | 35.3 |
Jeremy Doku | Belgium | Manchester City | 35.3 |
Kylian Mbappe | France | Real Madrid | 35.2 |
Rasmus Hojlund will pose threat to England
Rasmus Hojlund’s combination of speed and work rate means England’s defenders will have to be wary of his potential impact.
John Stones and Marc Guehi are expected to line up in central defence, and while they are both familiar with Hojlund, that doesn’t mean it will be easy.
Denmark’s manager Kasper Hjulmand has meanwhile urged Hojlund not to drop too deep into the midfield.
Hojlund is five games without an international goal, after scoring seven in nine for his country prior to this goalless run.
The big stage of Euro 2024 gives him a platform to showcase his quality, that he will be determined to taek.