da wazamba： When reflecting on those who failed to live up to the hype at Manchester United, the obvious answer is that of Ravel Morrison, with the gifted, yet troubled playmaker regularly brought up as the wonderkid who fell by the wayside.
da casino： The star attraction in the FA Youth Cup-winning team of 2011 – alongside the likes of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard – the exciting talent looked a certainty to go on to flourish in the first team at Old Trafford.
That was certainly the assessment of many at the club at the time, with former Red Devils star Quinton Fortune only recently telling The Athletic of just what a talent the then-youngster was:
"Not even a question. It was effortless. It was a once-in-a-lifetime talent. It was like watching Xavi, Iniesta, Neymar, all those guys put together. We were mesmerised by him."
That glowing praise was also corroborated by former scout Phil Brogan who noted that young Morrison appeared "destined to be the best", while even the great Sir Alex Ferguson is said to have referred to him as "the most talented player he’s ever worked with", according to Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Redknapp.
As it proved, however, the midfield's off-field antics – which saw him "skip training" on occasion, in his own words – ultimately lead to those at the Theatre of Dreams losing patience, with the Wythenshawe native leaving for West Ham United in January 2012 having featured just three times for United's first-team.
That lack of impact in a red jersey has ensured that the Jamaica international has almost become something of a mythical, fabled figure among the club's supporters, with few having ever got to witness the once-promising talent in the flesh.
As such, there will likely have been little attachment to the current DC United man for the Old Trafford faithful, with Morrison's chance having come and gone all too rapidly under Ferguson.
By contrast, however, Red Devils supporters were likely to have been far more enamoured with another former academy star who failed to live up to their early potential, with Adnan Januzaj's first-team displays having left many daring to dream that he could be the "future" of the club, as hailed by former boss David Moyes.
What happened to Adnan Januzaj?
While Morrison's impact at senior level was all too brief, in the case of Januzaj the Belgian endured a far lengthier and more consistent run in the side, having broken into the team during Moyes' solitary season in charge during the 2013/14 campaign.
It was the winger's performance in that breakthrough season that may ensure his subsequent decline is of more frustration than that of Morrison, with the Brussels-born ace having shown – unlike his fellow youth ace – that he could flourish in a United shirt in the senior set-up.
Having been thrust into the side by Moyes as a mere teenager as the Scotsman looked for a solution to his Old Trafford woes, Januzaj – who had been an unused substitute in Ferguson's last game in charge against West Bromwich Albion the year prior – was handed his debut in the Community Shield triumph over Wigan Athletic.
It was on the wide man's first start for the club, however, that he truly announced himself to the wider world, having bagged a brace in a 2-1, comeback win over Sunderland in the Premier League in October 2013.
The manner in which the 18-year-old struck his second of the match on the volley was simply glorious, with the teen ace quickly endearing himself to the United support.
The fleet-footed menace would end that breakout campaign with a respectable haul of four goals and four assists to his name in 27 league games, with then-teammate Darren Fletcher describing him as "up there with some of the best I have seen" in terms of talent.
Having subsequently taken on Ryan Giggs' famed number 11 shirt for the following season, Januzaj would ultimately fail to replicate his early heroics, seemingly suffering from the departure of Moyes.
That 2014/15 season under Louis van Gaal saw the elegant left-footer fail to register a single-goal involvement at first-team level, having notably been restricted to just seven league starts – later reflecting on how "difficult" life was under the Dutchman.
Despite being likened to a young Wayne Rooney by Moyes, such was his talent, Januzaj failed to earn the faith of Van Gaal and was shipped off on loan to Borussia Dortmund in 2015, albeit while making only 12 appearances for the Bundesliga side.
After linking up with Moyes again the year after having joined Sunderland on a temporary basis – where he provided no goals and just three assists in the top-flight for the Black Cats – the once-promising gem was allowed to join Real Sociedad on a permanent deal in 2017, with Jose Mourinho sanctioning the player's £9m sale.
Where is Adnan Januzaj now?
That move to Spain ultimately brought some much-needed stability to Januzaj's career as the 15-cap starlet went on to rack up 168 appearances for the La Liga side in all competitions, contributing 23 goals and 21 assists in that time.
The dynamic ace also came back onto the radar of those in England after scoring against the Three Lions for Belgium at the World Cup in 2018, with that fine finish another fleeting example of what might have been for the forward at the Theatre of Dreams.
The one-time Anderlecht youth product also notably reunited with the Red Devils after taking on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side in the Europa League in 2021, with club legend Paul Scholes hailing him as "brilliant" in the first-leg meeting.
That encounter had even brought to attention the fact that United could have exercised a buy-back clause that was included as part of the deal that saw Januzaj move to Spain, albeit with Solskjaer and co taking the decision not to engineer a romantic return, with the player going on to leave La Real last summer.
After departing the Basque side at the end of his five-year spell in San Sebastian, the 28-year-old was snapped up by Sevilla on a free transfer last August, only to then be sent on loan to Turkish outfit, Istanbul Basaksehir in February.
At a time when he could have been entering his peak years as a leading figure for the Red Devils, the experienced forward is now lining up outside of Europe's top five leagues, having netted three goals in nine outings for the Super Lig side this season.
That fall from grace has ensured that Januzaj is now said to be worth as little as £5m, as per Football Transfers, having never lived up to the initial, justified buzz that had surrounded him.
For United, while with Morrison the midfielder had never really made an impact on the first-team set-up, Januzaj had shown glimpses that he could be the next star of the side, hence the intense frustration for all parties that such a scenario did not pan out.
In truth, the Belgian has still enjoyed a respectable career at the elite level, but one can't help but think what might have been for the man who dazzled at the Stadium Of Light almost nine years ago…