Adnan Januzaj Belgian Footballer Born 1995 in Brussels

Early life

Adnan Januzaj was born on 5 February 1995 in Brussels and grew up in the Belgian capital. His parents are Kosovan Albanians, a background that later became a talking point for national federations. His football education started at FC Brussels, and in 2005 he moved to the youth system of Anderlecht. In March 2011 Manchester United recruited him, after he had made an impression in a skills session held in Brussels, and he relocated to England.

Career

Januzaj spent his first two years in England in the club's youth and reserve sides. Late in the 2012–13 season Sir Alex Ferguson promoted him to the senior squad and gave him the number 44 shirt, although he did not play that spring. He was named the reserve team's Player of the Year for 2012–13 and travelled with the first team on the 2013 pre-season tour of Asia.

His competitive debut for Manchester United came in the Community Shield on 11 August 2013, and his Premier League debut followed on 14 September against Crystal Palace. On 5 October 2013 he made his first league start, away at Sunderland, and scored both goals in a 2–1 comeback win. Two weeks later the club tied him to a new five-year contract. Under David Moyes he featured regularly in that first full season and made his Champions League debut in December 2013. For 2014–15 he was given the number 11 shirt, which Ryan Giggs had worn.

Opportunities became rarer under later managers. In August 2015 he joined Borussia Dortmund on loan for a season, but returned to Manchester in January 2016 after a limited number of appearances. In August 2016 he moved on loan to Sunderland, again working with Moyes, and scored his first goal for the club against Shrewsbury Town.

In July 2017 Januzaj signed a five-year contract with the Spanish club Real Sociedad, and he stayed until 2022. He made his La Liga debut that September in a win at Deportivo de La Coruña, scored his first goal for the club in November against Eibar, and added a late equaliser against Atlético Madrid. He was part of the side that won the Copa del Rey in the 2019–20 season. After his contract with Real Sociedad ended, he signed a four-year deal with Sevilla on 31 August 2022. Loans followed to İstanbul Başakşehir in the Turkish Süper Lig from February 2023 and to Las Palmas for the 2024–25 campaign. His contract with Sevilla expired in June 2026.

Described as a left-footed winger who can operate on either flank, Januzaj has also played in a central role behind the striker. He is regarded as a dead-ball specialist and took free kicks for several of his clubs.

Public roles

Because of his birthplace, his Belgian passport and his family's roots, several national associations were reported to be interested in him during 2013, among them Belgium, Albania, Kosovo, England and others. Belgium's coach Marc Wilmots approached him that autumn, and on 23 April 2014 it was announced that Januzaj had committed to the Belgian team. He was named in the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and after the tournament friendly against Luxembourg was declared unofficial, his debut officially came on 7 June 2014 in a 1–0 win over Tunisia, when he replaced Eden Hazard.

After three years out of the squad he was recalled in November 2017. Roberto Martínez included him in the 23-man group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he scored the only goal against England in the final group match, helping Belgium finish top of its group. Belgium ended that tournament in third place. His international appearances ran until 2022, and his most recent match for the national team in the record was in March 2022.

Recognition

Januzaj's honours include the FA Community Shield with Manchester United in 2013, the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad in 2019–20, and third place at the 2018 World Cup with Belgium. Individually, he received the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award for 2012–13 and the Golden Ball at the 2013 Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup. He was also nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in December 2013, and was among the nominees for La Liga Player of the Month during his time at Real Sociedad.

In 2014 he was one of several players New Balance signed when it set up its own football boot range, and he appeared in an advertisement for it.