Manchester United legend Gary Neville says Daniel James should only be "third or fourth" in line for a spot on the wing at the club.
James, 22, was signed from Swansea City in the summer as a player in the future, but has nailed down a starting spot in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United side after an electric start to the campaign.
The £15million man scored three goals in his first four games and has since chipped in with six assists - but Neville says United need wideman of the standard of Manchester City wingers Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.
"Daniel James is more of a work in progress," said former defender Neville on Sky Sports ahead of United's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
"He's showed glimpses of what he can be. I see him as being one of three or four wide players at United over a season."
Neville added: "I think when you look at Sterling, Mahrez and Bernardo Silva, they're at a far higher level than Daniel James.
"There's got to be an element of holding back a bit, but in a 22-man squad, you'd want James to be the third or fourth wide man."
But James' teammate Marcus Rashford - who has been ruled out for up to three months with a back injury - predicted James will cause defenders "nightmares" the more he settles at United.
"Dan has been brilliant since he came in," Rashford told United Review .
"He works hard in every single game and, when it comes down to it, that is all you can ask of each player – to give it all they've got."
"He definitely does that and, if we can adapt more to his playing style, he can cause some teams nightmares down the right-hand side, as we've seen in some games this season."
Following Sunday's defeat United remain fifth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea .
