10 Great Premier League one-season wonders of the decade (2010-2019)

#6 Adnan Januzaj

Adnan Januzaj never lived up to the hype he received in his debut season with Man United

Manchester United fans didn’t have a lot to enjoy in the 2013/14 season; legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson had stepped down in the summer of 2013 and was replaced by former Everton manager David Moyes, but the Scotsman took over an ageing squad and quickly found himself out of his depth. The Red Devils finished in a disappointing seventh place in the Premier League, but there was at least one positive: the emergence of Adnan Januzaj.

The flashy winger had moved to Old Trafford from Anderlecht in 2011, and he burst onto the scene in 2013 with some electric performances, most notably a two-goal showing in a come-from-behind win over Sunderland in October 2013. That performance was enough to net him a new contract with the Red Devils, and a couple of months later he was nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

Januzaj ended the 2013-14 season with four goals in just 15 Premier League starts, and was even the subject of an international tug-of-war between Belgium, Albania and England – despite being ineligible to play for the latter – before choosing Belgium in early 2014. However, despite being handed the No.11 shirt by United, he quickly fell out of favour at the club.

His subsequent seasons at Old Trafford saw him make less and less appearances as he was accused of having a bad attitude and earned a reputation for diving. After failed loan moves at Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland, he moved to Real Sociedad in 2017 having never really lived up to the potential he showed in his debut campaign.