According to the supporters, when Adnan Januzaj first broke into the first team of Manchester United at 17, he was Manchester’s messiah.
Fans labeled him as the one player that could finally replace the irreplaceable Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Adnan has not been able to live up to his potential.
The Belgian international has still to reach the peak. Januzaj got into the Manchester United first-team during the 2013–14 season under manager David Moyes.
However, he struggled for opportunities under Moyes’ successors José Mourinho and Louis van Gaal.
In this article, we take a look at the early life of Januzaj, his path to Manchester United, and his subsequent moves to other top European clubs.
We also take a look at his salary, stats, family, lifestyle, and net worth. So without further ado, let’s get started with some quick facts.
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Adnan Januzaj |
| Birth Date | 5 February 1995 |
| Age | 29 years old |
| Birth Place | Brussels, Belgium |
| Nickname | Januzaj |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Nationality | Albanian, Belgian |
| Ethnicity | Kosovar-Albanian |
| Education | Not disclosed |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Abedin Januzaj |
| Mother’s Name | Ganimete Sadikaj |
| Siblings | Unknown |
| Height | 6’1″ (1.86 m) |
| Weight | 76 kg |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Ex-Girlfriend | Tulisa Contostavlos |
| Children | None |
| Profession | Football Player |
| Career Start | 2001 |
| Position | Attacking-Midfielder, Winger |
| Clubs | Real Sociedad (Current); Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund (Previous) |
| Jersey Number | 11 |
| Net Worth | $8 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Jersey, Boots |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Adnan Januzaj | Early Career & Life
The Belgian international’s early life was full of life and football lessons handed down from his father, Abedin Januzaj.
He is the most significant influence in Adnan’s choice to play football. Therefore, growing up, the Sociedad winger enrolled in his local youth team.
It allowed him to showcase his raw talent. And soon enough, Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht swooped in to take the Brussels-born attacker.
Many onlookers saw Januzaj as the top talent in all his age groups for the youth teams. But one needs a moment of luck to make it to the big leagues.
And his moment of luck came when Manchester United sent its scout to search for talented kids in Belgium.
As fate would have it, Adnan impressed the scout with his raw technical ability and willingness to dribble past opponents.
Also, read about another player: <<Ansu Fati Bio: Stats, Career, Salary, Net Worth, Nationality Wiki >>
From that moment, the Red Devils monitored his progress until he turned 16. At that time, Anderlecht wanted to secure the talented attacker’s services, whom they had nurtured and developed.
But when European giants like Manchester United come calling, you go. And that is what exactly happened as the Belgian international decided to sign for Manchester United.
The English juggernauts managed to take Januzaj for a measly €300,000. It was a steal for a talent of his ability and skills.
Besides, United paid a further €200,000 to Adnan’s family while also providing them with a house in Manchester.
The future was looking bright for one of the most talented players of his generation. Could he live up to the expectations? Could he fulfill his potential? Well, let’s find out whether the wunderkind lived up to the hype or fell on his knees.
Adnan Januzaj | Professional Career & Stats
Adnan began his professional career with English giants Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson promoted the young Belgian to the first team following his impressive performances for the reserve team.
However, Janujaz did not feature for the Manchester-based club until the final game of the season against West Brom.
It was a special day for the club and the player because this was also the last time Sir Alex would appear in the dugout for Manchester United.
For his eye-catching performances for the reserve team throughout the season, Adnan won the 2013 Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award.
After a long wait, he made his much-anticipated competitive debut against Wigan Athletic in the Community Shield.
Following his impressive performances off the bench, Januzaj got his first start for the club; he scored twice.
The Belgian international’s hype gained more momentum as top European clubs saw the unlimited potential he had.
Therefore, to stave off interest from other clubs, the Red Devils offered him a new five-year contract on 19 October 2019.
Furthermore, Januzaj earned a nomination for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year due to his commendable outings.
Eyebrows started rising when David Moyes, the manager of Manchester United, decided to leave out the talented Belgian from the Champions League squad.
Contrarily, his first season at the club finished with him exceeding expectations. But it came at a cost as the player gained a reputation for diving.
Don’t forget to check out: <<Gabriel Martinelli Bio: Stats, Transfer Market, Country, Instagram Wiki >>
Januzaj finished the season with four goals and six assists for the club in 34 appearances. The following season, Adnan got the number 11 shirt previously worn by club legend Ryan Giggs.
The pressure was immense on the then 18-year-old to replicate the club’s longest-serving player’s success and performances.
As a result, the Belgian winger succumbed under the pressure as he did not score a single goal throughout the season.
The Sociedad attacker’s 2014-15 season was a complete disaster because he not only lost his goal-scoring form but also lost his starting place.
Having just had a stinker of a season, Adnan was refreshed and revitalized for the new season. He thought that this was the season he would break through and be one of world football’s brightest talents.
However, his season was nowhere near his expectations as the Belgian winger struggled to impact and subsequently got loaned to German giants Borussia Dortmund.
Continuing with his current form, Adnan could not impress the bosses at Borussia Dortmund, as he featured mostly as a substitute.
Consequently, Januzaj got recalled by United due to a lack of playing time with the German giants.
Having started his career at Manchester United so promisingly, Adnan’s worst nightmare came true as he had to go out on loan again. This time to Premier League relegation candidate Sunderland.
The Sociedad attacker endured a miserable time with the Black Cats, with a particular incident highlighting his time at the club. Adnan got sent off for two yellow cards in a 1-0 loss to Tottenham.
You might also want to read about: <<Mason Mount Bio: Stats, Salary, Instagram, Clubs Wiki >>
By this time, the Belgian international had grown frustrated with the loan spells and Manchester United as a whole. Therefore when Sociedad came calling for his services, Adnan took the opportunity wholeheartedly.
To resurrect his fledgling career, Januzaj made a permanent move to the Spanish club Real Sociedad.
Many clubs were interested in the services of the talented winger, but it was Sociedad who won the race. It was mainly because the great Brazilian Ronaldo was the owner of the club.
During his time with the Spanish club, Adnan has somewhat regained his early form. For instance, He made himself a contender for the La Liga Player of the Month for November.
The Belgian international is yet to live up to his potential that he showed early on in his career. But, I have full faith that he will hit the heights that fans had expected from him.
International Career
All the footballers have the luxury to choose the club they want to play for, but only a select few have the privilege to select the country they want to play for.
It was the case with Adnan as he not only had the chance to play for his birth country Belgium, but he could also choose to play for Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Turkey, and Croatia.
Now that is what I call someone getting spoiled for choices. On top of the countries mentioned above, then England manager Roy Hodgson wanted the talented winger to play for England.
However, it was not possible as Adnan did not meet the rules of the Home Nations Agreement.
Ultimately, Januzaj chose to play for the country he was born in, Belgium. However, the Sociedad winger never intended to play for the Belgian national team.
Back in 2013, Adnan had refused to play for the Belgian U-18 and U-19 and the senior team. The reason being that he wanted to play for Albania, the country of his ancestors.
You might also want to read: <<Frank Lampard Bio: Career, Stats, Net worth, Clubs, Wife Wiki >>
But that was not possible, and therefore Adnan played for Belgium, making his debut on 7 June 2014 in a 1-0 win against Tunisia.
He made a further six appearances for Belgium before being frozen out of the national team for three long years.
Finally, in November 2017, Januzaj got called up by the national team to include him in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Subsequently, the Sociedad attacker earned himself a spot in the 23-man squad for the World Cup.
His most notable contribution at the World Cup was when he scored Belgium’s winning goal against England. Notably, it was the only goal of the game against England.
The Belgian international has scored a solitary goal in his 12 appearances for the national team.
It is an underwhelming statistic for such a talented footballer, but I have full confidence that Januzaj can bounce back and fulfill his potential.
How much is Adnan Januzaj’s Net Worth? Salary & Net Worth
The Belgian international is currently earning a respectable $1.8 million per year or $37,000 per week.
However, the talented winger was making much more during his Manchester United days. During his time with the Machester reserve team, Januzaj was earning a measly £1,000 per week.
But due to his impressive form and interest from other top European clubs, Adnan’s salary was increased to £30,000 per week.
If you are looking to calculate his salary growth in percentage, then look no further as I have the information for you right here.
The Belgian international witnessed an increase of 3000 percent. Wouldn’t we all love it if our salary got increased that much?
However, during his final year at the Manchester-based club, Januzaj was earning £40,000 per week.
For the general public, that would be an insane amount of money to receive every week, but looking at what other top footballers with his talent earn is relatively low.
At the moment, Adnan’s net worth is around the $8 million mark, with a significant amount of the sum coming from his salary.
Having said that, the talented Belgian is only 29 years old and is still yet to reach his prime.
Also, don’t forget to check out: <<Damian Lillard Bio: Career, Stats, Contract, Endorsements Wiki >>
What is Adnan Januzaj’s market value?
According to the TransferMarkt website, Adnan Januzaj’s current market value is €10.00m. On the contrary, I believe that the valuation reflects his current form and not his ability.
As a result, I believe that when Adnan truly reaches his potential, so will the Transfer Market valuation. So let’s hope that Januzaj can fulfill those expectations that supporters laid upon him.
Adnan Januzaj | Family & Lifestyle
Adnan’s father, Abedin Januzaj, was a former military officer, while his mother, Ganimete Sadikaj, is a millionaire businesswoman.
The Anderlecht youth product had to follow strict rules as his father is of military background. As a result, Januzaj is exceptionally focused and uncompromising in his task.
He lives a healthy life when most footballers of his age party and spend time doing useless activities.
Personal life and Girlfriend
Taking a look at his personal life, Adnan got linked with Tulisa Contostavlos, a musician and singer. She appeared on the hit tv show X Factor.
The singer was previously in a relationship with Danny Simpson, also a professional footballer.
Besides, Contostavlos is six years older than the Sociedad winger. Also, she denied any rumors of her and Adnan dating.
However, his most entertaining dating experience is when Januzaj went on a blind date with Melissa Mckenzie.
The Belgian international not only took his date to a sketchy restaurant, but he also spent only £18 on a spicy chicken meal.
As expected, Melissa didn’t go on another date with the cheap Sociedad attacker. I know that Adnan has a strict policy for spending money, but at least try and make an effort to impress the lady, my friend.
Social Media Presence:
Instagram: 2 million followers
Twitter: 624.5K followers
Facebook: 1.9 million followers
Some FAQs:
Is Adnan Januzaj Muslim?
Yes, Adnan Januzaj is a Muslim by religion. Just like his parents Adnan also embraced Islam. He comes from Kosovo, a predominantly Muslim country on the Balkan Peninsula.
Interestingly, Adnan was also the first Muslim footballer in Man United’s first team since Mame Biram Diouf back in 2010.
What is Adnan Januzaj’s Kit number?
Adnan Januzaj kit number is #11 for Real Sociedad.
Why is Adnan Januzaj famous for his Belgium goal?
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Adnan Januzaj scored the only winning goal against England.
Likewise, the goal not only helped Belgium win the game but also topped their group. Also, it got nominated for the goal of the tournament.
Why was Adnan Januzaj’s goal disallowed?
Adnan Januzaj’s goal was disallowed when Thibaut Courtois backed the decision to rule out Adnan’s effort in Real Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad, insisting that his sight was affected.
Indeed Mike Merino also impacted Thibaut’s line of sight at the moment of Adnan’s disallowed goal in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win.
Later in Madrid’s official website Thibaut Coutois said,
“I didn’t see anything, and in the end, if you don’t see the ball and it goes by so fast, it won’t give you time to react. It is an offside position. It may be right or not, but it prevents seeing it. That is what the VAR is for, and I think the decisions have been clear.”
After a VAR intervention, Adnan Januzaj’s goal was disallowed.
