What a player Adnan Januzaj looked to be when he first broke through the academy ranks at Manchester United.
At just 19 years old, the Belgian made a total of 38 appearances in his first season in red, scoring five goals and getting eight assists.
He looked destined to be the next big thing around Old Trafford, but sadly – he just never really reached the level many thought was possible at Manchester United.
Adnan Januzaj’s Manchester United debut
After winning the 2013 Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award, Januzaj was promoted to the first-team squad by David Moyes the very next season.
Januzaj made his competitive debut for Manchester United against Wigan in the Community Shield, coming on for Robin van Persie with six minutes left to play.
He made his first real impact on his first start for the club, Januzaj scored twice as United came from behind to claim a 2–1 victory away to Sunderland. This included a memorable volley.
But it wasn’t this game that the Belgian remembers most fondly. It was his debut he definitely cherishes most.
Adnan Januzaj on his Manchester United debut
Manchester United took to Instagram to to ask some of their former academy graduates – ‘what was it like making your United debut?’
They got a variety of responses, including from the Belgian winger, who wrote:
‘To make my debut it was something special for such a big club for me and still the best club in the world. It gives you like goosebumps in the heart because of all those people watching you but when you feel confident about yourself everything goes good. But best experience in my life until now.’
Despite a career that has seen him win the Europa League with Sevilla and play World Cup football with Belgium – Januzaj says the best moment of his life was his debut at Manchester United.