Adnan Januzaj claims he has nothing to prove ahead of Man Utd Europa League reunion

Real Sociedad winger Adnan Januzaj feels he has nothing to prove when he faces off against former club Manchester United in the Europa League.

Januzaj burst onto the scene from the academy as one of few positives during United's ill-fated 2013/14 season under David Moyes, scoring a brace on his first start for the club.

However, amid a couple of failed loans to Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund, things went awry. He never kicked on as expected and eventually left in 2017

Januzaj has made 14 La Liga appearances this season | Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Sociedad face United in the Europa League round of 32 first leg on Thursday, pitting Januzaj against his old club, but the attacker does not feel he has a point to prove.

In a new interview with ESPN, Januzaj expressed his self-belief, saying: "I don't have to prove to anyone, I know my qualities.

"I don't have to prove to anyone how good I am, I just have to believe in myself, get my games and be happy".

Regular game time quickly became a problem for the young Belgian at United as he got lost in the shuffle. After an impressive breakout season, he failed to impress Louis van Gaal in the 2014/15 campaign and was sent on loan to Dortmund in 2015/16, but managed just three starts before being recalled.

A season-long loan spell at Sunderland followed in 2016/17 where he reunited with David Moyes, but again Januzaj failed to deliver any sustained form, then three seasons on from his initial breakout. He was sold to Real Sociedad in July 2017 and has managed to hit his stride once again.

A failed loan at Sunderland was the final nail in the coffin | Stu Forster/Getty Images

The 26-year-old described United as 'the club he loves', but cites the chopping and changing of managers and subsequent lack of games as the reason why he failed to kick on: "I had Fergie and David Moyes, coaches that were believing in me, but then some others came in and they wanted a bit more experience in the team".

United's round of 32 first leg clash with Sociedad will be played Juventus' Allianz Stadium in Turin due to COVID-19 restrictions, a regular occurrence across returning European competitions.


Source : 90min