Rangers and Celtic transfer claims over rival star addressed as rumours tackled head on
The Motherwell forward has earned links to Rangers and Celtic amid strong form.
A Rangers and Celtic linked star has addressed claims of transfer interest amid Old Firm chatter.
Elijah Just was nominated for PFA Scotland Player of the Year after a standout debut campaign at Motherwell. He joined from Horsens in Denmark last summer and has been key to a possession-based style of play under manager Jens Berthel Askou, who himself has been linked to the Celtic managerial vacancy this summer, with Just linked to Rangers alongside Scotland’s current Premiership champions.
Motherwell can clinch a Conference League qualifier this weekend if they avoid defeat to Hearts and Hibs are defeated by Falkirk. With eyes on the World Cup with New Zealand, Just insists transfer noise is new to him, but it can only mean he and Motherwell are performing above expectation.
Elijah Just on transfer links to Rangers and Celtic
“It's definitely been something new because, yeah, I've not had a season as successful as this one so far in my career,” Just said of transfer links. “But in terms of dealing with it, it hasn't been too difficult. It's pretty easy for me to focus on the football. I look forward to every game, and every training, so there's never really a time where I'm thinking about something else.
“Also with the World Cup, I know that I need to be focused all throughout the season, also in the summer. So yeah, it's been nice to hear, of course. When you're hearing these things, it means you're playing well. But yeah, not too difficult for me to focus. It's been perfect, perfect and more. It was definitely one of my goals when I was looking to move last summer.
“When Motherwell called, I knew that if I could get myself and the team playing, then it would give me a good chance. I couldn't have foreseen how well the team was going to do, especially the part I was going to play in it. So it's really exceeded my expectations .I'm really thankful for the club for giving me the opportunity and to the manager. It's come at a perfect time with the World Cup.”
What is Motherwell’s style of play under Jens Berthel Askou?
Just isn’t exactly your typical Scottish Premiership footballer. His diminutive frame and size may make him appear an easy target for opponents but they’re soon left bamboozled by his quick feet. It’d be almost unthinkable to picture Askou’s side playing a more direct approach commonly associated with the Scottish game but that’s what played out when Just was with the Dane at Horsens. Experienced picked up along the way in subsequent coaching roles at Sparta Prague and Copenhagen has helped Askou unlock Just’s potential at the second attempt.
“There are a lot of teams who are very physical,” explained Just. “I've obviously been lucky this year to be part of a team who maybe the emphasis is on playing and technical and with the ball, not too many duels, and fights. That potentially is one of the reasons why sometimes I get singled out because I'm not a typical Scottish player. But yeah, I think if you look at our squad, there are plenty of players who aren't too typical.
“I think that Horsens team that I was in with the manager a few years ago probably would have been more typically Scottish. I think you probably could see signs of what he wanted to do but we didn't quite have the playing group at the time. We unfortunately did get relegated, but we were in a relegation battle, so there was a lot of pressure on the team. Then between that period and myself arriving at Motherwell, I think the manager was at some top clubs around Europe. I'm sure he learned a lot and managed to evolve his own philosophy into what you see now.”
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