Elijah Just remembers getting up early in the morning as a child in New Zealand to watch Premier League football and to see New Zealand play at the World Cup. Sixteen years after the All Whites went to South Africa in 2010, he fulfilled one boyhood dream this summer by starring for New Zealand as they returned to the World Cup. Now the 26-year-old attacking midfielder faces the challenge of reaching the Premier League.
Not long ago, the idea of Just playing in England’s top flight might have seemed fanciful. Not now. He is a regular in the Swansea City midfield, in a side sitting second in the second tier before their trip to Lincoln City this Saturday (15:00 BST). These are early days in the Championship season, and it remains to be seen whether Swansea can maintain their eye-catching form across the long campaign. For the moment, at least, the Premier League is within sight.
Just describes his route to this point as quite a journey. “I’ve had some up and downs throughout my career and yeah, getting to this stage has been quite the journey,” he says. “In New Zealand, everyone that follows football watches the Premier League – you wake up in the morning to catch the game. Of course it’s a long season, but you always hope that you can get there. I think that’s everyone’s dream.”
His career began far from the Premier League. Just left home at 14 to join the Ole Football Academy, which has produced numerous New Zealand internationals. At the academy in Porirua, he first met Marko Stamenic, now a Swansea team-mate, as well as quite a few other boys who are now playing professionally around the world. A link between the academy and the American owners of Danish club Helsingor led to Just being one of three players invited for a month-long trial in Denmark. Shortly after his 19th birthday, he signed the first professional contract of his career.
Just spent his first year with Helsingor in Danish football’s third tier, helping the club win promotion to the level below the top-flight Superliga. He moved to Horsens in 2022 and spent one season in the Danish top division before relegation. He then moved to the Austrian second tier with SKN St Polten on loan in 2024-25 before signing for Motherwell 14 months ago.
There was no great fanfare when Just arrived at Fir Park, but it proved an inspired signing. He thrived in the Scottish Premiership under Jens Berthel Askou, whom he had previously played for at Horsens. Motherwell impressed many with their stylish football, and Just was their star performer, scoring seven goals in 35 Scottish Premiership games and being shortlisted for the Scottish footballer of the year prize. “Coming from New Zealand, just to be able to play football full-time in Europe is something that is quite difficult,” Just says. “I had a nice stroke of luck when one of my old managers, Jens, brought me to Motherwell. Then the whole team kind of came together in like this really nice way where we played good football, we exceeded the expectations and I was just lucky to be a part of that.”
If his Motherwell form caught the eye, his World Cup performances placed him firmly in the shop window. New Zealand were rank outsiders as they lined up at football’s biggest tournament for only the third time, yet they quickly looked at home thanks to Just’s seventh-minute goal in their opening game against Iran. He added a second in a 2-2 draw and scored his third goal of the tournament in the defeat by Belgium which condemned New Zealand to a group-stage exit. “I was really fortunate that the year at Motherwell was so successful that I was able to carry some confidence into the World Cup,” Just says. “I think the way we played, we definitely gave ourselves a chance [of reaching the knockout stages] so that was a little bit disappointing. But it was just an incredible experience, not just the games but being there in the Fifa bubble, with the support out on the street and just seeing everyone enjoying football no matter where they came from.”
Just says New Zealand’s exploits knocked the All Blacks, the nation’s men’s rugby union team, off the back pages for a short period of time. “We got sent videos of kids in school watching and different pubs, bars, things like that,” he adds. “The whole nation got behind it, which was pretty special.”
Less than a month after bidding farewell to the tournament, Just had joined Swansea for an undisclosed fee which was reported to be in the region of £5m. He had been linked with clubs including Celtic and Rangers before the move in July. He has featured in all seven of Swansea’s league games to date, but feels the club’s fans are still to see his finest form. “I think I’m still adjusting,” Just says. “I don’t think I’ve shown my best out on the pitch yet but I’ve still enjoyed it. The team that have surrounded me have been great. I’m trying to do anything I can do to help the team.”