Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag admits Donny van de Beek struggled with injuries atOld Trafford.
Van de Beek has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on-loan for the season.
Ten Hag also worked with Van de Beek at Ajax and said: "From the first moment I came in here at Manchester United, he wasn't the player he was at Ajax because he was injured. So many times he was not available and then he struggled for a long time to recover from that injury.
"That is probably the main reason why he was not playing. We decided for a loan in the summer but it didn't come and then his opportunities are few because also we make appointments and we make agreements with players and contract players in that position. The competition was high."
Asked if players may question moving to United, Ten Hag added: "That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities," he said. "But I can tell you one thing - the Premier League is tough. Man United, that is tough to play there because it's more easy to play in almost any other team than Man United because the pressure is that high always.
"You have to deal with that. But if you have confidence in yourself, this is the best challenge and this is definitely the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends on player to player, and it depends especially on the character of the player, their personality."