What is an Adnan Januzaj? October 10, 2013

No, not a fancy marble lined over-sized bathtub, though that does sound quite luxurious. Adnan Januzaj is actually an 18 year old winger who may have saved the job of David Moyes and the sanity of millions of Manchester United Fans across the globe last Saturday. With a second half brace, the teenager rescued the Red Devils from a 1-0 halftime deficit at the hands of Sunderland. The Black Cats are currently the blazing dumpster fire of the Premiership, a team that has secured only a single point in 7 matches and thought hiring an angry fascist sounded like a good idea, only to have it inevitably blow up in their face. All things considered, this was no résumé builder for England’s most illustrious football club.

On the flip-side there was the emergence of a bright, ambiguously ethnic, hard to pronounce star. Adnan Januzaj put on a spectacular display from the left-wing, a place where Ashley Young usually stands around and you know, does stuff, presumably.

Adnan earning a delicious soda-pop for his efforts

Even before he bagged the first premier league goals of his career he seemed to be the only positive talking point of the first half for United. His interplay with the midfield and especially Evra down the left-side was top class. Coupled with his ability to draw -in defenders and release the ball to a bevy of open teammates showcased his stellar technical ability.

The way he moved about the pitch in the second half was that of player entrusted by his coach to be more than a winger, but a creator. He popped up all over and eventually scored his first goal on a run through the center of the box on a first touch from a low cross, there wasn’t a defender within 3 yards. The hardest thing to teach in any sport is spatial awareness, and Adnan Januzaj seemingly has a great understanding even at his young age. To cap off his brace he produced a beautiful cross-post volley on his better left foot, though it’s evident he is very much a two footed player. Again the play saw him wander away from defenders to the left side of the box only to be on the receiving end of a great cross, which he buried. To be fair, the space he had on the pitch could have been due to his relatively unknown status, but regardless the game became a dream -start to any career.

So who is he? For Starters Jack Wilshere certainly thinks he isn’t English. He was born in Brussels Belgium but recently declined a call-up to their senior side. The collective backgrounds of his parents also make him eligible to play for Albania, Serbia, Turkey, and Kosovo (Though they are not recognized by FIFA) and apparently Croatia… So says Croatia, not that they have any actual proof. It is amazing what platform like Manchester United can do for a player and with his national allegiance uncertain he is certainly going to be a hot soccer commodity. But, lest we forget in times like these, the magical career of Federico Macheda. A one-time United starlet that has since faded into not just relative obscurity, but I’m pretty sure just literal, uninhibited obscurity.