“Adnan Januzaj is a real talent in one-on-one situations. He will bring us freshness. I expect a lot from him,” Belgium boss Roberto Martinez said following the announcement of his 23-man World Cup squad. While the absence of Radja Nainggolan may have been a surprise, the winger’s inclusion shouldn’t have come as a bolt from the blue. Real Sociedad struggled in La Liga last season, ultimately labouring to a 12th placed finish following a dismal period under Eusebio.
The 23-year-old winger, though, impressed when called upon. Three goals and five assists was a fine return given his lack of regular game, with Januzaj having a direct hand in a league goal every 197.5 minutes, while 3.8 successful dribbles per 90, as per WhoScored.com, was the third best of those to make 20 or more league appearances last season.
In a struggling Real Sociedad side, this can be constituted as a successful campaign for the Belgian winger and he very much warrants his spot in the Belgium setup. It’s a far cry from four years ago, where Januzaj was the surprise pick by then Red Devils boss Marc Wilmots. When he broke onto the scene in 2013, many began to rapidly talk up the wideman’s talent.
Then 19, and reportedly able to represent England, there was talk of Januzaj representing the Three Lions in Brazil, only for Wilmots to beat them to the punch and use the winger as his wildcard pick. That amounted to just 60 minutes of action in Brazil as Belgium once again failed to live up to expectations in a quarter-final exit at the hands of eventual finalists Argentina in one of the dullest matches of the 2014 World Cup.
Under Martinez, the mood isn’t greatly improved, with the Spaniard’s previous exploits well documented, but to his credit, Belgium have a system suited to the players at his disposal, which allows the European side to maximise their hugely impressive pool of attacking stars. At both wing-back or in the forward three, Januzaj is a player suited to both systems and offers versatility on either flank having made 14 league and European starts on the left and seven on the right.
What’s more, he is no longer the fresh-faced youngster he was four years ago and out of the gleaming spotlight that is the Premier League, and Manchester United, Januzaj’s game has developed accordingly. His return of two key passes per 90, as per WhoScored.com, is his best in a league season, with his end product improving immeasurably following his switch to Spain.
With wing-back Jordan Lukaku one of those omitted from Martinez’s World Cup squad, there is further pressure on Januzaj to perhaps feature in the role, with Yannick Carrasco and Nacer Chadli also making the cut to provide competition in the position. However, with Carrasco now plying his trade outside of one of Europe’s big leagues and Chadli mustering just 216 minutes of league action last season, Januzaj is perhaps an ideal option for Martinez on the left given his commendable campaign in both La Liga and the Europa League.
His defensive work may leave little to the imagination, but against the likes of Panama and Tunisia, who are likely to sit deep and allow Belgium ample possession, Januzaj’s trickery from deep could help pry apart the staunch defences of their Group G opponents. Against the bigger teams, though, it’s likely Januzaj would be required to make an impact further forward, but even then he’s a handy option for Martinez.
Some may have been shocked at his inclusion in the final squad, but it’s deserved for a player who has gone away to Spain to rebuild a fledging reputation and make a career for himself away from the critical glare of English football. Januzaj has come a long way since his surprise call up for Wilmots’ Brazil 2014 Belgium squad and now he has the perfect stage to re-announce himself to the watching world provided he is handed the opportunity to do so by Martinez, be it from the off or from the bench.
