Adnan Januzaj: Aspires to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo

Adnan Januzaj is no longer a precocious teen talent after turning 20 last month and the signs of maturity are becoming evident. The Belgium international has worked his way into Louis van Gaal’s plans for his Manchester United side and excited Old Trafford with his second-half showing against Sunderland last weekend.

It was the Black Cats who provided the opposition when Januzaj catapulted himself into worldwide fame with a remarkable match-winning double on his full debut under David Moyes and, although he has had to be patient this term, he has been selected of late. Van Gaal has often charged him with the responsibility of taking on defenders, as was the case when he came off the bench again at Newcastle United.

This role has meant direct contact with some of the toughest tacklers he feels he has ever faced – in our interview, he cited the defenders of Cambridge United and another combative foe in Leicester City’s former Reds right-back Danny Simpson. Last Saturday, he was up against Sunderland’s Patrick van Aanholt and the Belgian gave the Dutchman a difficult time, hugging the right touchline and pushing his marker onto the back foot every time he obtained possession.

Once van Aanholt had been booked for a late challenge, Januzaj relished having the psychological upper hand and was bursting with confidence and arrogance, showing glimpses of the dazzling footwork that surprised so many supporters when he broke into the first team in ‘Roy of the Rovers’ fashion.

“My game is all about trying to make things happen,” Adnan told ManUtd.com.

And it is. Although he can operate centrally, attacking from out wide has largely been Januzaj’s modus operandi since making his debut last season. The 3-5-2 formation therefore limited the number of outings for the young winger and he was naturally delighted to be back in the team when the tactics changed.

“We had the diamond at Cambridge and I played as a left-midfielder,” he said. “I feel comfortable there as well. I think I can play well there without a problem.

“My favourite position is as a winger or a no.10. There are a lot of players here and I can play in different roles – it is just a case of taking any opportunities.”

Januzaj is focused and confident in his own ability and, like any winger, he needs to be. Gone are the days when Ryan Giggs, Lee Sharpe and Andrei Kanchelskis could tear past defenders at will, displaying superior pace and fitness from the

first whistle to the last. In today’s Barclays Premier League, the full-backs are as fit as anybody – Adnan forwards Kyle Walker of Tottenham as one particularly adept exponent of his trade and acknowledges it’s no longer a simple case of being able to outstrip your marker with raw pace alone.

So more wing sorcery is needed and demanded by fans. While some are impatient for exciting and positive play during games, others can see it as selfishness. Any Manchester United winger treads a fine line in this respect. Januzaj is clear in his message that he works on these aspects of his game, and tirelessly in training, in an attempt to strike the right balance.

Most of his skills come naturally but he spends extra time after the regular sessions at the Aon Training Complex honing them by himself and also focusing on improving his crossing ability. “It’s a case of mixing it up and causing the defender more problems because he won’t know if I’ll cross it or dribble,” he revealed. “I know I need to add that unpredictability to my game.”

The evidence is there for all to see that Adnan’s endeavour is starting to pay off. He became the go-to player against Sunderland and earned praise from his manager for recording a first assist of the season when his shot led to Wayne Rooney nodding in the rebound.

“I’m a dribbler and I like to go past people,” he confirmed, relishing that responsibility of getting the fans on their feet. “That’s really my game, you know, taking people on and making things happen. Sometimes it’s difficult. Sometimes, you can have a bad day when nothing works but you still must try to make something happen. I am confident. If I get tackled once, I go again and again until I go past them.”

There is no doubt Januzaj remains one of the brightest prospects at Old Trafford and he has serious ambitions to win some silverware with the club, starting with the FA Cup with a tough quarter-final assignment against Arsenal on the horizon.

“Once you win a trophy, you want to win other ones like the Champions League and Premier League, for example,” he reasoned. “If you win one cup, it can be the start. I won the Under-21 league with the Reserves and I think it was very good for me. You can put that in your locker as well.”

A top-four place may be United’s main requirement this season but the youngster clearly thirsts for more. As somebody who shares his birthday with Cristiano Ronaldo, one of three players he aspires to emulate (Zinedine Zidane and the recently-retired Juan Roman Riquelme are the others), he clearly must realise the bar has been set extremely high at United when it comes to marrying entertainment with a desire to win every trophy available. Regaining a place among Europe’s elite would be just the start for him.

“I think that’s the aim – to try to qualify for next year’s Champions League,” he accepted. “I played in it last year and it was very good to do so. I was really happy and you know you’re waiting for that kind of opportunity again in the future.”

Aiming high and working hard, Adnan Januzaj will be looking to show his class during the remaining months of the season – and providing plenty of flair along the way. The signs are positive that he can have a major influence in helping United to break down even the most stubborn of defences.