Hoffenheim coach namechecks Man Utd striker, insists he doesn't care about Gift Orban's bad boy image

TSG Hoffenheim's Austrian manager Christian Ilzer namechecked Manchester United striker Rasmus Højlund as he insisted that he does not care about Gift Orban's bad boy reputation. 

On Thursday, Hoffenheim confirmed the signing of the 2023 Super Eagles invitee, who has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year contract, until the end of the 2028-2029 season.

Orban was forced to move on to pastures new after falling out of favour at Olympique Lyon, where he made twenty-one appearances over the course of one year.

The talented striker rose to prominence at KAA Gent, where he garnered attention not just for his impressive goalscoring abilities but also for his bad boy image.

The Belgian press painted him as a controversial player due to his outspoken nature and reckless comments.

In November 2023, Orban threatened to quit Gent if Hein Vanhaezebrouck, the manager at the time, didn't increase his playing opportunities. 

Orban stirred up trouble a few months ago when he lauded an opponent on social media for a stunning goal against Lyon, which led to him being sidelined from the first team squad.

Christian Ilzer drew parallels between the Nigerian forward's behavior and that of Højlund, whom he coached during his time at Austrian club Sturm Graz.

Speaking to German sports magazine Kicker, he said: "Of course he's a special character. I've worked with a lot of guys, like Höjlund, who are just special. 

"They're not well-behaved, streamlined guys. Otherwise they can't hurt the opponent . 

"These are exposed characters in various forms. They are goal getters, if you integrate them well, then they will score."

After Rasmus Höjlund's successful stint at Sturm Graz, where he scored 12 goals in 21 games following his move from FC Copenhagen before heading to Atalanta Bergamo, Ilzer now hopes Orban can follow a similar path.

"We managed to increase the goal rate extremely for all the strikers who were in my teams. Rasmus Höjlund didn't score in one go either in Copenhagen," he said. 

Orban trained for the first time with his new teammates at Hoffenheim on Friday ahead of a possible debut against Augsburg.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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