I don’t have to prove to anyone how good I am: Adnan Januzaj on upcoming Europa League fixture against Manchester United

Real Sociedad star Adnan Januzaj is looking forward to their upcoming Europa League fixture against his former club Manchester United but at the same time, he has maintained that he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone.

The Belgian midfielder ended his six-year-long association with the Red Devils in 2017 as he wasn’t finding regular playing time at the Old Trafford but he isn’t looking to settle scores or anything like that when the two sides meet at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.

“I don’t have to prove to anyone how good I am, I just have to believe in myself, get my games and be happy,” Januzaj told ESPN ahead of their round of 32 fixture.

“I’m really happy to go back there, the club I love. Once I’m on the pitch, there’s going to be no friends because obviously, I’m playing for another club now and also I want to win the game.

“I want to go through with my team. I’m really happy to go back there to see the people but once I’m on the pitch there will be no friends.”

Januzaj spent two years in the academy setup with Manchester United and then graduated to the senior squad in 2013. He played a total of 63 games for the Red Devils across all competitions scoring five goals.

He got his first start for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and then became a regular in the XI under David Moyes. But Januzaj found himself on the fringes once the likes of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho took over. That was when he decided to join Real Sociedad in order to revive his career once again.

“I had Fergie and David Moyes, coaches that were believing in me, but then some others came in and they wanted a bit more experience in the team,” the 26-year-old said of his time with the Red Devils.

“I was a young boy and when you’re a young boy you have to shut up and do what people tell you to do.

“I didn’t have the right coach to push me. For example when Van Gaal came I was playing one game out of six so it was difficult and I was like ‘what am I doing here?’

“The first season under Moyes I was getting game time to show myself. At Manchester United, the most disappointing thing was that I wasn’t getting games.”

The move to Sociedad ultimately proved to be fruitful for him as he has played 109 games for the club till now scoring 16 goals and assisting an equal number of times. In fact, the club looks well on track for a top four finish in the La Liga this season.