Denis Irwin described Luke Shaw as "the best left-back in the league" following his resurgence at Manchester United.
The English defender has been one of the Premier League's most-improved players this season, with Shaw shining since Alex Telles' arrival from Porto in the summer.
Shaw's quality in the final third in particular has impressed, with the left-back's numbers highlighting the vast improvement in his attacking output.
As a result, Irwin believes Shaw is currently the best left-back in the league, amid competition from the likes of Ben Chilwell and Andrew Robertson.
“Alex Telles coming in has probably pushed him and he's been really top class in the last couple of months," Irwin told United's website of Shaw. “His overlapping is there to see, his defending is there to see. It's good that he's got competition. He had Brandon Williams last year, and raised his game, and he's got Alex Telles this year and that has helped him to raise his game. Certainly, at the moment, as things stand, he is the best left-back in the league.
“There's Ben Chilwell down at Chelsea. Obviously, they're going through a tough time but he's a really decent player. There are one or two others - Ryan Bertrand at Southampton has been doing well and I'm missing one or two more, maybe Andy Robertson.
"But I agree with you. Luke is playing really, really well and certainly the best he's played for Manchester United.”
He added: “He had a really bad injury and picked up injuries on the back of that, over the following couple of seasons, so it was hard for him to find that bit of rhythm.
“I think he needs a rest every now and again. With Brandon last year and Alex this year being able to come in and, first of all, compete with him, then Ole has the luxury, I suppose, of having a couple of really good full-backs available.
“That's great news with the amount of games we've got coming up over the next four months or so. You need a big squad as much as anything, so let's hope Luke stays fit because he's a vital part of our team. He offers pace, we know that, and we know he's a good footballer and our best left-back when everything is going well.
"He's in the position, he's got hold of the full-back position and he's got to remain there. He knows he has got to play well as Alex Telles will be after that position."
