In the streets of Palmerston North in New Zealand, a young Elijah Just was learning the arts of both cricket and football, sports that aren’t necessarily the most popular in his country. His parents weren’t too keen on letting him learn the craft of rugby due to the fear of serious injury, and as such, Just looked elsewhere for his sporting fix.
Who would have known that Just would then play at the Olympics for his country, travel the world playing football at a professional level and, potentially if all things go to plan, play in the World Cup for his country?
But that’s how his football career has panned out so far, and with his early time in Scotland proving to be a whole success, Just is pleased he poured so much into learning this sport back home.
“Rugby is the main sport, then it’s cricket in New Zealand,” Elijah Just laughed.
“I think football may be third, and I think it’s still third in terms of popularity and viewing, but football is the most played. A lot of kids are playing because a lot of parents are a little worried about their kids playing rugby.
“I just played football at school and enjoyed it. I played cricket for the school team; I never played rugby in an organised sense. But at school at lunchtime, there was a bit of rugby and ball rush and things like that going on.”
With rugby firmly down the pecking order, Just’s footballing journey started at the age of 14, when he moved from his family home in Palmerston North to play in the Olé Academy.
“Up until then, I’d been doing all that I could in terms of trying to get myself into an organisation where I could improve as a footballer,” the New Zealand international explained.
“But where I’m from, there isn’t much football going on. I moved down to Wellington to the football academy; I just loved it. It was football every day, getting better as a player, and a lot of boys that moved when I joined are still playing in Europe now. I moved out of the family home, and I was living in the accommodation with all the other boys for a year-and-a-half, then my parents moved down too.
“Callum McCowatt, who’s playing for Silkeborg. Nando Pijnaker played for Sligo Rovers recently, and now he’s in Auckland. There are a few boys playing in Sweden and a couple in England. We were all in the academy together, and it’s good to see them doing well for themselves.”
After an impressive spell in the Olé Academy, Just moved onto pastures new. The academy itself has an affiliation with the Western Suburbs, and Just utilised the opportunity to go out and play football against men.
“I made my debut for the Western Suburbs first-team when I was 15,” Just said.
“We played in the Central League, which is based in Wellington, but that was in men’s competition. So, I was 15, and we had a really young team playing against fully grown men. It was a good introduction to playing with people who are bigger than me, something that has continued for the rest of my career!
“We ended up winning the league in my second year, which was really cool, and then in 2018, eight of us that had gone from Olé to Western Suburbs went to Eastern Suburbs, who were playing in the National League, which was the next step up for us. I joined the team, and we ended up winning the league, and that was my game in New Zealand there.
“I believe some of the owners in Denmark know someone at Olé, and there was some American connection. I’m not 100% sure on the facts, but they watch some games. I also know that Scandinavia requires working permits, because I don’t have a European passport.
“At the end of the season, three of us went over for a trial at Helsingør. It was a very good experience; we were really lucky to have each other because during the trial, the club sacked the manager. We got to experience a lot! The players already in the team must’ve been wondering why three guys have arrived on trial whilst we’re in the middle of a relegation battle, but we all got offered contracts. It was a strange connection between Denmark and New Zealand, but to sign and know was pretty good.”
Now in Denmark, on the other side of the world and a long way away from home, Just was adjusting to life in a new country and was ready for the next adventure.
“I was lucky when I moved out of home at 14; I learnt how to look after myself,” Just stated.
“When I was in Denmark, I was staying with a lovely family who took care of me. I can’t even express how much they helped me and also the two other boys; I still keep in contact with them. So I was really lucky in that aspect, but it was a big change; the language and playing in a professional environment were all new to me.
“When I went on trial, they were in the midst of a relegation battle, and the season before, they had been relegated from the top flight. So they actually ended up getting relegated again. I’d signed the contract and gone away on international duty, and they went down to the third tier when I was away. When I turned up for the first season of my deal, the squad was by far the best in the third division.
“We started the season well and were almost winning every game, and I found it difficult to break into the team. The owner’s sole goal was just to get promoted, so there weren’t many chances to play. I featured a couple of times off the bench. At the halfway point of the season, I spoke to the coach, and he wasn’t sure if I was going to play.
“There were some concerns about my size and that if the team got promoted, then it would become even more difficult and more physical. The coach wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle that. That was an uncertain time for me. It was difficult to find a new club when I’d hardly played in the third tier, and then all of a sudden, COVID came, so the games stopped.
“When we came back, a few of the players had finished their contracts, we had some injuries, and then all of a sudden, I was playing. We had six games left in the season, and I started four. We got promoted on goal difference, and me playing kind of rolled into the next season, and funnily enough, the coach never brought up the conversation we’d had about his concerns!
“It was water under the bridge. In the second tier, there are a lot of good teams and players. I played two years there; the first was more about me getting used to playing, and in the second year, we had an amazing squad. We went on a crazy run; we went into the winter break 12 points clear. We don’t need to talk too much about the form after the break when we capitulated; I think it was eight losses in ten games, and we missed out on promotion.
“The second league in Denmark is a really hard league, and then the top league is even tougher. Trying to make that jump from the second league to the first league is difficult, and I was in a period where I was really worried about being stuck as a good second-tier player but never being able to make the jump up.
“When I went on loan to Austria, I had to prove to myself that I could play at a higher level. Going into the transfer window, I really wasn’t sure what would happen.”
It was in Denmark, however, that Elijah Just would meet Jens Berthel Askou for the first time. With the Danish manager leading AC Horsens, Just moved there in 2022 following his three-year stint at Helsingør. Playing under Askou in the Danish top-flight would bring more learning experiences to the fore for Just.
“I moved to AC Horsens to work with the Gaffer,” he explained.
“We got relegated on goal difference; there were lots of ups and downs; it was tough. At that time, our squad wasn’t suited for the way we wanted to play. So the football was vastly different to how we play at Motherwell. I think that was a reason I didn’t have the best of seasons.
“The team did ok to start with, but we faded away and got relegated. The manager then left, and we had a few discussions when he was in Sweden. I don’t want to say I was surprised he called me, but I hadn’t played that much, so the fact he was still interested in bringing me in was interesting.
“Between that first year I had worked with him and working with him now, he has coached at some huge clubs. You can see that he’s really established how he wants to play, and the boys have been great. It’s obviously a massive help to have a connection with the manager already, and he knows exactly what I bring to the team.
“He also knows where I’m not going to be useful. It’s been easy to integrate into the team here, and even though there’s been a big change in philosophy here, everyone has been starting from the same level.”
With the backing of the manager evident and a move to Scotland on the table, Just did his research before committing his future to Fir Park. Using his wide list of contacts, he spoke to those who have worked or played in Scotland and was well aware of what he was coming into.
“Anyone I spoke to kind of said the same thing,” Just added.
“They said to be careful going to Scotland because it may not be best suited to me. I’ve exceeded my expectations so far in terms of how well we’ve played, but the most important bit is being effective in getting results. We’ve had five draws in the league, but there could easily be a couple of wins in there.
“I do think the way we’re playing is conducive to getting good results, and it’s so impressive to see the fans on board. I think everyone can feel the belief they have in us, which is a huge help. I think coming into the start of the season, there were a few things I knew I would be able to do in terms of with the ball and connecting teammates.
“There are things I had to prove, which was making sure I was working hard and fighting for everything. As a smaller player, especially in Scotland, you can’t just be the player with the ball. So, I’m making a real effort to work hard off the ball and fight to help with what the team needs.
“As a player, when you’re seeing your centre-backs, goalkeeper and midfielders playing with the confidence they have, it helps me. They’re doing so much hard work at the back to get me in the right positions, so when I get it, I try to be confident. It hasn’t been thinking on my part, just enjoying it.
“It doesn’t seem to matter who we play; we’ll just draw the game. There’s a team in Scotland who are tall and physical and pose different issues. I think we need to be more ruthless against teams that sit deep. The way we play is dependent on us; if we play well, I don’t think we need much luck to get the job done. We’ll always have a good chance. There’s positive we can pull from each game so far, and we’re just a tiny bit away from clicking fully.”
Despite only being 25 years old, Elijah Just is a fully-fledged internationalist, picking up over 30 caps for his country, representing New Zealand at the Olympics and playing in countless qualifying matches.
But there’s one goal he is still to kick off at the international level, and that boyhood dream could become a reality very soon.
“It makes me proud,” he said with a smile.
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve played that many games. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been fit and available to play so many times, and even in games where I haven’t started, I’ve come on at the end of the game. The national team is very important to me. Growing up, the 2010 World Cup team was an inspiration for me. So, now to have the chance to go to the World Cup myself, it’s a dream come true.
“With the squad we have, we’re in a position where we’re going to win games and not just make up the numbers. To be involved every time is always special.”
In the previous World Cups, Oceania has had half a spot, so in 2022 New Zealand won Oceania qualifying and then played Costa Rica. Unfortunately, the Kiwis lost 1-0 and didn’t make it to Qatar. However, this time round, the World Cup has expanded, and as a result, Oceania now has one and a half spots.
New Zealand completed their qualifying campaign in March, defeating New Caledonia 3-0 in the final, and can now look forward to representing on the biggest stage of all next summer.
“The scope and the magnitude of the World Cup won’t hit home until I’m there,” he laughed.
“At the moment, it’s not looking too far ahead and just looking after the club games. I’ve had lots of people reach out and ask if they can get tickets for the World Cup games and things like that; I’m sure it’ll be an incredible experience.
“There’s a lot of travel involved when it comes to playing for New Zealand, even more now I’m in Scotland. But I’ll do whatever to play for my country. We don’t play a lot of home friendlies; when we have qualifiers, we play there, but for friendlies, they try to organise the games to be in Europe so that the majority of the squad don’t have to travel just as far.
“The games that are back home are always special. Playing for my country has been really beneficial for me, as I’ve been able to gauge myself against some of the players who were playing at a really good level. In the last few years when I was trying to make the jump, playing against and with some players at top levels, I could reassure myself that I am just as good as some of these guys.
“Just going away and seeing some of the boys playing at such high levels, what they’re able to achieve with their mentality and the way they carry themselves is really inspiring, and I’ve learnt a lot from everyone.”
