Manchester United: Borussia Dortmund boss explains why Adnan Januzaj failed during loan stint

Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel has explained that Adnan Januzaj failed to succeed in Germany because he kept comparing everything at the club to life at Manchester United. Januzaj, 20, joined the Bundesliga giants on the final day of the summer transfer window on a season-long loan. While Dortmund enjoyed a thrilling first half of the season, the Belgium international played a peripheral role in that success, starting just two games in all competitions.

Dortmund agreed to cancel the winger's loan in January and the player has since returned to Old Trafford to fight for a place in Louis van Gaal's side.

Januzaj came under criticism during the first half of the 2015-16 season when he was criticised for his "poor attitude" by Belgium Under-21 boss Enzo Scifo when the player turned down a call to represent his side in November.

Following the player's return to Manchester, Tuchel suggested the United academy graduate did not possess the "desire and attitude" to be a success. Speaking to FourFourTwo, the Dortmund boss elaborated further on his early exit.

"A part of him was always still in Manchester and we just couldn't help him cut the umbilical cord," Tuchel said. "He didn't wholly embrace Borussia. He always compared everything with how it had been at United."

United boss Van Gaal has been wary of immediately reintroducing Januzaj to his first team given his lack of playing time in Germany. The Belgian has featured in three games for Warren Joyce's Under-21 side in January in bid to regain match fitness, and made a four-minute cameo off the bench in the 1-0 defeat to Southampton on 23 January.

"We have reconsidered and we think we have to build him up for the game and not risk too much by putting him in a game at once," Van Gaal told MUTV on 11 January.