Manchester United and Real Sociedad are set to face each other in the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League on February 18 at Juventus home stadium in Italy due to coronavirus travel restrictions between UK and Spain.
Real Sociedad winger and former Manchester United player Adnan Januzaj has said it will not be a friendly affair neither would it be a showoff when he faces his boyhood club.
“I don’t have to prove to anyone, I know my qualities. 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,” he told ESPN.
“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.”
Though he was introduced by the outgoing Sir Alex Ferguson, he got his breakout under David Moyes and impressed but when Moyes was sacked, things went rough for the Belgian. After struggling to nail down a place under Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, he left United in 2017 after a loan to Borussia Dortmund.
He is full of praise for Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes for believing in him: “I had Fergie and David Moyes, coaches that were believing in me… the first season under Moyes I was getting game time to show myself, but then some others came in and they wanted a bit more experience in the team.” he added.
Januzaj admitted he would not have signed the new contract at United if he knew it was Van Gaal coming in to replace David Moyes.
“If at that time I could have chosen to leave the club the year before he came then I would have, but at that time United wanted me to sign a new contract and I thought that I could be there for many years. If I knew that these coaches were not going to believe in me I would not have signed,” he added.
“All of it is experiences and I know I won’t make that mistake again so I can just enjoy myself and my football.”