Adnan Januzaj endured a difficult first season under Louis Van Gaal after emerging as a breakthrough talent during David Moyes' much-maligned time in the Old Trafford hotseat.
The young Belgian struggled to find playing time, and when he did he looked nothing like the fearless dribbler who got United fans out of their seats and offered a ray of hope in an otherwise gloomy season. One of the main issues with Januzaj last season was how easily he seemed to be going down, which brought about criticism from fans of other clubs, and groans of disappointment for those who align themselves with the red half of Manchester, but Januzaj's loan to Borussia Dortmund has offered a clip that shows that people can change.
During a substitute appearance in a comfortable win against Paderborn this week, Januzaj refused to go down under a challenge in the hopes of making something from the loose ball, and funnily enough, was rewarded with a free-kick after no advantage was gained:
Januzaj isn't getting the sort of playing time that many had hoped he would at Dortmund, but being exposed to a different tactical system and cultural environment can only benefit a player with Januzaj's undoubted potential.
It remains to be seen what would have happened if the score was 1-1 or similar, but still, it's encouraging to see a young player who has earned a bit of a reputation for diving look to stay on his feet. Hopefully it continues.
He also seems to be fitting in quite well judging by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang taking the piss out of him on Instagram earlier:
via r/reddevils.
