“He [Hojlund] is a great character – always keeps going, always wants to improve,” Ten Hag said. “You see now that the team is better, the team is more stable and we serve the frontline better, that he starts scoring.
“You see there is something growing with Rassy, with [Alejandro] Garnacho, with Bruno [Fernandes] in [behind them]. Also other players from the second or the third line. He is coming more into positions to score.
“I am happy that he is now starting to score. This counts for many players, for young players. I think there is a lot of space for improvement but he is still now on very good levels.”
It will be the 66th anniversary of the Munich air disaster on Tuesday, which United will mark at the game against West Ham. The tragedy claimed the lives of 23 people, including eight “Busby Babes”, and Ten Hag has said it is imperative for players to remember that the club is defined by its resilience in the face of adversity.
“I think it tells a lot about the legacy of this club, about the DNA of this club, about having big set-backs, tragedy, but fighting back,” he said. “Fighting back also with young players who should express resilience, like for instance Kobbie Mainoo, an academy product. He showed that resilience [against Wolves].
“Munich was a disaster for the club, and how the club recovered for it, and how individuals recovered for it, was great. Such a disaster, when you survive this and a couple of years later you are lifting the biggest trophy in European football, that’s immense.
“I think we should always remember this. It’s the legacy of why Manchester United exists and what we should match as a club, as a team, as an individual.
“I have always been driven by this motivation [of using young players]. It is one of the reasons why I want to develop young players. You need patience but also you need the right structures, you need capable coaches in the academy – about football but also about personalities you have to develop. To bring young players in is a big advantage because they know the DNA of the club.”