Januzaj Seeks Chance To Shine

Adnan Januzaj has been given a taste of life in Manchester United’s first-team and he is determined to make the most of any other opportunities that come his way.

David Moyes handed the 18-year-old attacking midfielder his United debut at Wembley as a substitute in the Community Shield win over Wigan Athletic, then earlier this month he emerged from the bench to earn his first outing in the Barclays Premier League against Crystal Palace.

It was the latter display that really caught the eye and announced Januzaj’s burgeoning ability to play at the top level; an exciting cameo on the left wing that garnered plenty of praise, not least from the United manager.

The Reds are in action this week in the Capital One Cup against Liverpool, and while the stature of that fixture may mean that the usual blooding of youth is more tentatively managed, Januzaj is relishing the prospect of any available chance to impress his boss.

“I’m really enjoying myself,” Adnan explains to United Review, the official matchday programme. “I played quite a few games in the Reserves last season and I thought I did well, and from there I had the chance to go on tour in the summer. It was a good opportunity for me to show what I could do for the team.

“That was a great experience for me and ever since then I’ve been working hard. Now the manager has given me my chance in the first-team at Wembley and against Crystal Palace.

“That was my first Premier League game for United and my first at Old Trafford, so it felt very special. I was in front of another big crowd and I was shocked to get about 25 minutes. When I got the call to say I was coming on, I was surprised. But I went on and tried to play my game.”

Having passed two big landmarks in his career – his debut and league bow – that hasn't nearly sated Januzaj’s appetite or ambition. That leads to the natural question: what next in his fledgling career?

“First, I’d like to stay in the squad,” he says. “I want to play as many games as I can and become the best player I can possibly be. But I know that I need to keep working hard every day to achieve that.”