Van Gaal: I warned Januzaj against Dortmund move

Louis van Gaal says he warned Adnan Januzaj against moving to Borussia Dortmund on loan only for the Belgian to ignore his advice.

Januzaj moved to the German outfit in August on a loan deal until the end of the season after struggling for consistent appearances under Van Gaal.

However the 20-year-old has fared no better at Dortmund and is yet to start a match in the Bundesliga, playing only 160 minutes of league football.

“In a club like Borussia Dortmund all the players there are also of a certain level and I said in advance that’s a big risk for you because you have to compete with other players of a higher level and that is not so easy,” Van Gaal said.

“It’s the same thing as in Manchester United. He has to compete with higher level players. I want him to play all the matches and that is why I want to play him also in the Premier League but he chose for Borussia Dortmund.”

Januzaj burst onto the scene in 2013, scoring twice on his full league debut at Sunderland, and was one of the few positives to come out of the David Moyes era.

Van Gaal has used the winger somewhat sparingly since taking over at Old Trafford but insists he still has confidence in the youngster’s ability.

“We have to wait and see because now he doesn’t play but he has the talent to play,” the Dutchman said.

“I am certain he has the talent to play but he has to learn a lot of things. Not only is talent important but also it is the character to develop your talent. And he can learn that.”