Premiership star addresses Rangers and Celtic transfer links as rumours are no surprise amid clear focus

Just has been a revelation for Jens Berthel Askou’s impressive side at Fir Park following stints in Austria and Denmark. He has netted seven goals with seven assists for the fourth-placed Premiership side and his form has sparked rumours that both sides of Glasgow could be keen come next season.

A New Zealand international, he signed a two-year deal at Motherwell last summer, with an option to extend his contract into 2028. Just insists that with the rest of the campaign to play with Motherwell and a World Cup this summer to savour at international level, rumours like the Rangers and Celtic links do not concern him, with good form always likely to attract interest.

Elijah Just to Rangers and Celtic verdict

“Away from the pitch it's just been so easy to integrate into society,” Just said in an interview with FIFA. “Walking around Glasgow with different restaurants and events that are going on, because everything's in English, it's just so much easier. It really is like living a different life from when my girlfriend and I were in Denmark and Austria, where it's just so much more difficult when you don't understand what's going on.

“It also helps that we’re doing really well and when I bump into fans, a lot of them tell me that this is one of the best Motherwell teams they've seen, and my time at the club has exceeded all expectations.

“As for the speculation, I think that’s normal when you're doing well but I've still got so much football to play, including the World Cup this year, let alone the rest of my contract, so it's not something I'm thinking about at all.”

Elijah Just on World Cup ambitions

Just has been a regular for New Zealand since his debut in 2019 and will take on Iran, Egypt and Belgium at the World Cup. His Scottish “slang” is set to go with him to the finals as a boyhood dream stands ready to be realised.

“Let’s say that the [New Zealand] coach Darren Bazeley comes up to me and says that I need to go and man-mark someone on the corner post.” Just joked. “I’ll say, ‘I cannae do that.’ That’s the one piece of vocabulary that I’ve been trying to use more, how the locals here say that you cannot do something by using that slang word ‘cannae.’

“With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa I was waking up in the middle of the night to watch the games. Most of our current squad were young at that time and drew such inspiration from that group so it's incredible to know that we have an opportunity to create those lifelong memories for the next generation.”

The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly