Janczyk out to emulate Boniek

There is no higher praise in Polish football than comparisons with former Juventus star Zbigniew Boniek but promising forward Dawid Janczyk has gone one better with a glowing endorsement from the man himself. Now he must live up to the acclaim and having spent the end of the 2005/06 season on the sidelines, the 18-year-old is determined to impress for Poland at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

Cruel timing
It could have been very different had Janczyk not been injured during a league match against MKS Cracovia SSA in March just days after receiving his first senior international call-up. It was cruel timing and left the Legia Warszawa man sidelined for seven weeks, ending any lingering hopes he may have had of winning a place in Paweł Janas' FIFA World Cup squad. Janczyk, who had trials with Chelsea FC before joining Legia in summer 2005, will get his chance to shine on the international stage, however, and much of Poland's hopes rest on his reliable shoulders.

Boniek buoyed
The Nowy Sacz-born youngster took just two minutes to score in Poland's 3-0 friendly victory against Latvia in June and although he was forced off with a niggling injury midway through the first half, it proved another reminder of a burgeoning talent. That ability has drawn parallels with the great Boniek, who himself approved the comparisons by saying: "I'm watching his performances with great pleasure. Janczyk has everything to enjoy a successful career."

Groundbreaking season
"I would like to have a career like Boniek," is Janczyk's standard response to the plaudits but he is already scribing his own name into the annals of Polish football. His opening goal of the 2005/06 season meant he became the second youngest Legia player to score in a first-team game. A subsequent strike in November made him Legia's third youngest league goalscorer of all time. Perform well in the European U19 Championship this summer and he could yet add an entry that eluded even Boniek – national-team silverware.