Neville Rates Kagawa

Gary Neville is expecting bigger things from Shinji Kagawa next season but believes the Japanese star will have no fixed position in the United team.

Shinji enjoyed a promising first campaign at Old Trafford, in which he featured both in an attacking central midfield role and on the left wing for the champions.

Some observers feel Kagawa will eventually establish himself behind a main striker, a position in which he was so effective for his former club Borussia Dortmund.

But Reds legend Neville, who is now a club ambassador and TV pundit, reckons incoming manager David Moyes will continue to deploy the midfielder in different areas.

The ex-captain told ManUtd.jp: “It was a stop-start season because he had some injuries and hasn’t settled into a definite position yet, which is something he is going to have to work out in the next 12 months.

“His best position is in a central role because that’s where he played for Dortmund, and he will feel he can influence the game the most there.

“But at times, earlier on in the season when he was off the front, he was a little bit lost. I preferred him on the left-hand side so he could watch the game from a different position.

“You can get the best out of players like Shinji by playing them in different positions. In Europe, maybe he will play off the front and in the Premier League on the left, but I don’t think he will be fixed in one position."

Neville believes Shinji offers something different to the United team and highlighted the numerous assets he feels will come to the fore in 2013/14.

"He will be better next season," Neville added. "Towards the end of this season he showed glimpses of what he could do, particularly in the Norwich game and at West Ham, which I think was his best match.

"He is an intelligent player with good energy, he can spot a run and his own runs are excellent, he is tidy on the ball, he can get out of tight situations and I think we will see more of a goalscoring influence and a final-third impact next season.

"That’s what he will want from himself, but I think the best is yet to come. That is the overriding thing for Shinji Kagawa."