Manchester United star Daniel James has been praised by Ryan Giggs for the manner in which he has adapted to the cruder aspects of life in the Premier League, with the Wales boss saying his attitude reminds him of that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
James, who celebrates his 22nd birthday on Sunday, moved to the Old Trafford side in the summer and made an immediate impression by scoring three goals in his first four Premier League matches.
He has since failed to find the net but created goals against both Liverpool and Norwich in recent fixtures, and has won praise from his national team boss for his bravery.
“Dan takes a lot of knocks but gets up, gets on with it and demands the ball back,” Giggs, who named the attacker in his squads for forthcoming matches against Azerbaijan and Hungary, said.
“Ronaldo, especially earlier on in his career, took a lot of knocks and would still demand the ball. It shows huge bravery.
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“Dan’s a fantastic character and great professional.”
Reflecting on a bad challenge during the last international break from Croatia’s Domagoj Vida, the manager said it showed that he has been singled out due to his ability.
“Over the years forwards have been more and more protected. But we have a few players who receive nasty treatment because of the quality they possess,” he noted
“You’ve got to stand up for yourself. You’ve got to trust in the referee as well that he protects the players.”
As an iconic winger with the Red Devils during his playing days, Giggs knows what the support at Old Trafford want and says that the youngster checks these boxes.
“United fans like players who like to attack, who gets the fans off their feet — and he’s somebody who does that,” he said.
“With the form he’s in, he has been outstanding and a constant threat. He’s added goals and assists, which is a wingers’ game. He will get better and better — and I’m pleased for him.”
James will hope to continue his encouraging recent form on Sunday, when United host Brighton as they attempt to improve upon their current position of 14th in the Premier League standings.
