Adnan Januzaj has explained how he has improved as a player since leaving Manchester United on loan.
Belgian winger Januzaj joined Sunderland on a season-long loan in the summer, and has been one of the relegation-threatened club’s better performers.
He left Old Trafford in the search of first-team football, and has three assists in 15 Premier League starts __with Sunderland.
The 22-year-old believes he has improved both the mental side of his game, as well as his defensive performance.
“This manager knows what I can do,” he told the North Shields Gazzette of former United boss and current Black Cats manager, David Moyes. “I don’t mind when a manager tries to push me.
“He is being hard on me and I have to take it and try to play some big games.
“Criticism makes you stronger. You can criticise me how you want, the first thing that I think about is my own game when I go out onto the pitch.
“I would say mentally I have improved, that has been a strength of mine.
“It has been a hard time for me because it has not been an easy position to be in. I have become a much stronger player than I have been.
“Defensively I have also had to improve because I have had to defend more.
“That has helped my fitness as well. I feel much fitter now playing this way.”