Elijah Just’s journey from New Zealand World Cup hero to a Championship regular has brought his Premier League dream into sharp focus. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder is now a fixture at Swansea City after a £5 million summer move from Motherwell.

He has started all seven of Swansea’s league games this season, wearing the number eight shirt for a side sitting second in the table ahead of their weekend fixture. His performances in England’s second tier are the latest step in a career that took off on the global stage.

Just was the standout performer for New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup. He scored three goals, including a seventh-minute strike against Iran in their opener. He became the first All White to score a brace at the tournament and finished as the country’s all-time top scorer in World Cup finals.

“I've had some up and downs throughout my career and yeah, getting to this stage has been quite the journey,” Just said.

That journey began when he left home at 14 for the Ole Football Academy in Porirua. He earned his first pro deal with Danish side Helsingor in 2019, later playing in Denmark’s top flight with Horsens. A loan to Austria’s SKN St Polten preceded a move to Motherwell in July 2025, where he scored seven goals in 35 Scottish Premiership games and was shortlisted for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award.

His form at Fir Park convinced Swansea to make their move on July 22. Just’s World Cup exploits had already placed him in the shop window for top clubs, and his adaptation to the Championship has been swift.

For the national team, context is provided by a challenging World Cup campaign. New Zealand currently sit fourth in their group with just one point from three matches, a position detailed in the latest standings. Their most recent outing was a 2-2 draw with Palestine on September 24, where Ben Waine and Jesse Randall found the net.

The team’s recent form shows two draws and three defeats from their last five games.

Just acknowledges the Premier League’s magnetic pull for football fans back home. “In New Zealand, everyone that follows football watches the Premier League - you wake up in the morning to catch the game,” he said. His immediate task is to maintain his place in a Swansea side pushing for promotion, while also aiming to help improve New Zealand’s fortunes in their remaining World Cup qualifiers. The All Whites' next squad announcement will be keenly watched on our squad page.

Further reading: sports.yahoo.com