Former Man United star Adnan Januzaj opted to take a pay cut to remain at Sevilla in the summer, after struggling with form and injuries
Adnan Januzaj during his time at Manchester United
Adnan Januzaj was highly rated at Manchester United after coming through the club's youth teams. (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
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Former Manchester United star Adnan Januzaj has spoken about his struggles since leaving Old Trafford. The now 31-year-old has been with Sevilla since 2022 and took a pay cut last summer to remain with the club.
Januzaj came up through the youth teams at United after joining from Anderlecht as a youngster. He made 63 first-team appearances, scoring five goals, before completing a permanent move to Real Sociedad in 2017.
He impressed with the Spanish side, scoring 23 goals in 168 appearances, earning him a move to Sevilla in 2022. However, injuries and form issues saw him struggle to make an impact.
He spent time on loan with Istanbul Basaksehir and Las Palmas. Upon his return, he has made 13 appearances for the club this season, after agreeing the pay cut.
Speaking ahead of Sevilla’s La Liga clash with Barcelona this weekend, the Belgian explained why he took the decision to stay: "The pay cut? I wanted to play here giving my best for Sevilla, because I haven’t had the opportunity for the last three years," he said.
"I've always felt affection at all the clubs and I try to repay it with my quality and by being able to contribute."
Januzaj also spoke about how he has overcome outside pressure, adding: "If I listened to everyone's opinion, I'd be dead, I'd quit football and stay home. Football can change a lot; today you're the best and tomorrow you can be the worst.
Adnan Januzaj holds off Diego Rico during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Getafe CF and Sevilla FC.
Adnan Januzaj in action for Sevilla. (Image: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
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"If you're not mentally strong, you won't get anywhere. I've always stayed calm, working as hard as possible. I have such natural technique that sometimes on the pitch I seem relaxed, because it's been my style of play since I was little.
"But I've always been committed to wanting to play football."
He added: "It's never really been a problem with coaches, it was other kinds of problems. At the clubs I've been to, I've done well.
"This year I'm here to try to perform as well as possible and give Sevilla something I haven't been able to give them in recent years…I feel very good now and in the last few matches I've started to give a little more.
"There are 11 matches left and I'll give my best until the end of the season. The most important thing is to avoid relegation first and then give the best performance possible if I stay healthy."