Motherwell star Elijah Just has said he hopes his agent is "pretty busy" as speculation mounts over his future following a standout performance for New Zealand at the World Cup. The winger scored three goals in three matches in the United States, including a brace in a 2-2 draw with Iran and another in a 5-1 defeat to Belgium, which saw New Zealand finish bottom of Group G.
Transfer Links and Agent's Role
Just has been linked with both Celtic and Rangers, as well as clubs in Europe, after being named Motherwell's Players' Player and Player of the Year last season. Speaking to New Zealand media after their World Cup exit, he said: "I'm heading back to Scotland. The boys are heading to a training camp so I think I will have seven or eight days off while they are in Denmark. I'm looking forward to seeing all my pals and meeting the new coach [Alfred Johansson]."
"In terms of transfer in the window, I guess that's my agent's job. I hope he is busy at the moment. I will speak to him and in football you never know. I will just stay focused and keep trying to get better."
World Cup Experience and Future Ambitions
Just reflected on his World Cup journey, saying: "The World Cup has given me added belief and also motivation to keep pushing. There was a point in my career, one or two years ago, where I wasn't quite sure what level I was going to be. I was a little bit stuck and maybe plateaued a little bit, so now you have a little bit of a new energy and new belief. I definitely want to test myself see how far I can go."
He added: "It's something that everybody wants to do. Coming here gave me a taste of playing against top, top players. So we'll see what happens. You just want to make it to the top level. The [English] Premier League is the peak, but I just want to be somewhere where I can keep playing football and enjoy myself. I have never played European football before so that would be pretty cool, but I am pretty open to what is next."
Highlight of the Tournament
Just singled out his first goal against Iran as his personal highlight: "The first goal against Iran would be my moment of the tournament. To get that first goal in front of the big crowd in a big stadium in front of my team-mates, seeing them all so happy, that's my moment of the tournament. I was really fortunate with that early goal, which gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the tournament. Your first time being at a World Cup, you don't know what to expect, but I have just had so much fun. I'm probably the one who gets the headlines for the goals, but I think a lot of people played really well."
Reflection on Team Performance
He acknowledged missed opportunities: "The most frustrating part will probably be looking back at the first two games - we'll feel like we left a little bit on the table. [Saturday] was a really difficult game. We knew that going in, it's not an ideal situation to need a win against Belgium, who are probably the strongest team in the group, especially when they struggled in their first two games. But overall it's pretty positive."
"[There was] a lot of missed opportunities, especially the first two games, but that's part of football, and hopefully we can grow and get better. Four years goes around pretty quick in football. I think everyone is proud of the journey we have been on."
