He was dubbed "a boy who can do something" by the followers a decade in the past. Understandably so, given his exhilarating first-team breakthrough. His first United begin noticed him rating twice in a 2-1 comeback win at Sunderland, one a chic volley. The Belgian was simply 18 then, and it seemed as if Sir Alex Ferguson's successor David Moyes had been blessed with the membership's newest younger prodigy.
The Scot stated: "We all know we have a very particular expertise, however we'll hold his ft on the bottom. He will be a high, high participant." Moyes even in contrast the teenager's skills to a younger Wayne Rooney and added that "he has traits of Johan Cruyff". Eric Harrison - the mastermind behind United's Class of 92 - stated: "Januzaj is excellent and I believe he's just like Cristiano Ronaldo."
Equally, Gary Neville stated: "Nevertheless, I genuinely suppose this man might be among the best on this planet." Whereas Robin van Persie declared: "Over time I've seen so many younger gamers and I can actually say that of all of the younger gamers I've seen he's proper up there within the high one or two. He is a particular participant."
However 10 years on, the one similarities between Ronaldo and Januzaj are that their birthdays are each February 5 they usually each used to play for United. Januzaj has scored simply 28 targets profession targets since that Sunderland brace - a number of hundred lower than the Portuguese - and was final week loaned out by Sevilla to Istanbul Basaksehir.
It isn't the profession path that was as soon as envisioned inside United. Ferguson as soon as dubbed Januzaj "a fantastically balanced participant" and gave him a spot on the bench in his remaining match in cost - an iconic 5-5 draw at West Brom. The winger had solely signed two years earlier as a 16-year-old from Anderlecht.
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The next season below Moyes, Januzaj would make 35 appearances, scoring 4 targets. On the finish of the marketing campaign he was even handed the long-lasting No 11 shirt worn by Ryan Giggs because of the Welshman's retirement. However the teenager would make simply 28 appearances within the quantity.
Simply as shortly as Januzaj rose to prominence, he would fade into insignificance. He struggled for minutes below Louis van Gaal in 2014-15 after which mortgage spells with Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland did not revive his spark.
Thomas Tuchel, the Dortmund supervisor in 2015-16, instructed Januzaj "didn't present the will and perspective you have to progress at his age" and stated he was "by no means fully with us" and "part of him at all times stayed in Manchester".
Januzaj, for his half, felt he would possibly've stayed on at Outdated Trafford had been it not for Van Gaal particularly. He later revealed: "If I had the precise folks that basically had been pushing me, that had been giving me love and needed me to play, sure, in fact I'd nonetheless be there, presumably.
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"Should you don’t have the precise folks, the precise coaches who can push you additional then it will be actually tough so that you can present your self on the pitch, to specific your self." Sadly, although, Januzaj has by no means actually lived as much as that early hype wherever he has gone, whoever has coached him.
The 15-cap Belgium worldwide had a comparatively profitable five-year spell with Actual Sociedad however was launched on the finish of his contract final summer time. And having gone on to affix Sevilla totally free, he already finds himself out on mortgage once more in Turkey.
It's a sorry story for a participant who as soon as promised a lot, a participant who as soon as seemed - because the Stretford Finish so excitedly sang - like he might do something in a United shirt. Nicky Butt the ex-head of the membership's academy stated 4 years in the past labelled Januzaj his "greatest disappointment".
"I do not suppose I've seen a participant, in all probability since Ryan [Giggs], who was pretty much as good as that. He was unbelievable. In my eyes he ought to have gone on to be a world famous person." Although he might have solely simply turned 28, Januzaj appears destined to suit firmly within the 'what might have been' class of gamers.