Any AC Milan fan checking the score in Bodo/Glimt vs. Spurs would have noticed a familiar name in lights: Jens Petter Hauge.
As Calciomercato.com recall, Hauge was one of the stars last night in the Champions League with a brace against Spurs, the latest evidence of the Norwegian’s constant growth. He is returning to the high levels of performance that convinced Milan to bring him to Serie A in 2020.
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The background on Milan
It was five years ago in a Europa League preliminary round match that Hauge announced himself at San Siro. He scored a goal and got an assist against the Rossoneri while playing for Bodo/Glimt, which convinced the management to sign him for €5m there and then.
Overall, the season started positively: at the end of October, his first goal in the Europa League against Celtic, in November the first success in Serie A against Napoli, the two consecutive goals in Europe again against Celtic and then Sparta Prague.
All this came in the few minutes given by Stefano Pioli, thanks to the abundance of resources in the department. Simply put, Rafael Leao, Ante Rebic, Brahim Diaz, Hakan Calhanoglu, Samu Castillejo and Alexis Saelemaekers were all favoured as wingers.
Hauge was increasingly less used as the season went on and excluded from the UEFA list for the knockout phase of the tournament. A single goal in early April against Sampdoria was effectively his last appearance and contribution in a Milan shirt.
There was too much competition and perhaps the feeling of a player too raw in Pioli’s eyes, and their paths diverged. There were ‘no regrets for Milan’ as per the report, who were crowned champions of Italy the following year and made €10m from Hauge’s sale to Eintracht Frankfurt.
From Frankfurt he ended up back with his hometown club Bodo, and this season he has nine goals plus 10 assists in 45 appearances. He already equaled last season’s total, with the aim of reaching the 2020 high of 14 goals. Sometimes a return home can do good.
I always liked him. They got him for depth but never used him and he just kind of rotted on the bench. I wonder how he would have progressed in a Milan jersey had he not been so far behind Leao and company.
Dunno why, when we put him playing, his first touch on ball was mostly not good and his vision too, thus we lost many possesions. But other than that, his eyes on goal dan dribbling were great!
There is a reason he totally flopped in Germany. Only thing he can do is cut to the middle and try to score and that is pretty much it.
I watched the game yesterday. Even outside of his two very nice goals, he was clearly the best player on the pitch for Bodo, and it could be argued also better than anyone on Spurs. Have to assume he received the MoM.
he’s same as CDK, bit slow adaptation but when excel he’s consistent,
the good thing is if he still here atm mean Leao already gone & Leao is better
He was a raw talent and without any minutes he could not showcase his ability. First touch, last touch does not matter, he could score.
Needed a proper coach, that’s the bottom line.
A totally made up post. He totally flopped in Germany. He is a small league star who can do one thing only and don’t understand tactics.
Yeah leao should be miles better, leao is taller, faster, stronger, better vision on the field, but that’s when he is fit.
I think the article has answer.
He was one of about 10 wingers and and a few months to prove himself.
How anyone thought that would work out is beyond me.
And yes he was signed under Maldini. Maldini also signed way too many players (something like 50 in a few years).
He was a young winger in an era where we had Leão on the rise and Rebić.
The likelyhood of him getting enough minutes to improve in such a tense and high pressure environment was very low to begin with.
He was razzling and dazzling in that game that’s for sure. He’s progressed quite well ngl.
And they should have won that game.
Its somehow we need to convince him to gain some experience in another serie A club then bring him better a season after. Any player with less experience to play abroad or out of his hometown are risk need more time to adapt. We can see it happen with JPH, CDK or Paqueta. Also fans need to be patience… The result we can see happens at Saele right now. He is being more reliable this season.