When Adnan Januzaj burst onto the scene with Manchester United, it looked like he was going to be the next great wonderkid.

Marcus Rashford was still a couple of years away, but Januzaj had just as much buzz when David Moyes handed him his debut back in 2013.

The Belgian would prove to be a rare bright spot in a frustrating season for the Red Devils that would see them finish seventh in the Premier League and he even forced his way into Belgium's stacked World Cup squad.

Because of that lowly finish, Moyes would lose his job at Old Trafford and he was replaced by Dutchman Louis Van Gaal.

And that's where it all started to go wrong for the young prodigy.

Januzaj told the Daily Mail that Van Gaal's arrival set him back as a player and the manager's tactics stifled any creativity in the team.

The 22-year-old said: "There was not the same freedom. A winger needs that confidence, a manager telling you, 'Go and take people on'. With him, it was a slow passing game.

"For some it was difficult. You could see some players were not enjoying the football. The manager and I had many difficult meetings.

"I was frustrated and everyone could see that I was not the same Adnan as the first year. I was sometimes even in the stands. When you work hard in training and then get left out, it's hard for a young guy.

"It was not only me. As a footballer, if you think too much on the pitch, it is never good. You need instinct in your play. When the ball came to us, we had to stop and think, 'What are we going to do with it here?', 'I can't lose the ball'."

Although United managed to win the FA Cup under Van Gaal, his tenure with the Red Devils is often remembered as some of the most boring football the storied club has witnessed in recent memory.

After two fruitless loan spells with Borussia Dortmund and then Sunderland, Januzaj was sold to Real Sociedad last summer as he bids to get his career back on track in Spain.