Former midfielder Paul Scholes believes Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho is most suited to playing on the left-wing - but warns that he is yet to discover his best role at Old Trafford.
Sancho, who was left out of Gareth Southgate's most recent England squad, has struggled to live up to expectation since joining United from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021. He has scored just ten goals and grabbed four assists in 63 appearances, meaning he is yet to justify his £72.9million price tag.
Sancho spent time in the Netherlands during the World Cup break, working with coaches recommended to him by United manager Erik ten Hag, in a bid to rediscover his true capabilities and get his career back on track. He has offered glimpses of his capabilities since returning to the squad in February, but he is still yet to offer any sort of consistency.
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He has operated in several different roles since returning to the squad, including in attacking-midfield. For Scholes, however, it will not be until he has proved his fitness that he will produce his best levels.
"It is very difficult when you are in and out of the team all the time to find any consistency or any type of form," Scholes told the Webby & O'Neill YouTube channel. "I think he has shown a lot of flashes of the talent we expected.
"Look, he has been nowhere near what everyone thought we were going to get from Dortmund, but it might take a bit of time for him to settle down in the Premier League and get used to the pace of it. His fitness will get better once he starts playing games week-in, week-out."
Sancho has operated on the right-wing, the left-wing and through the middle since being recalled to the squad by Ten Hag. It is unclear what the Dutchman considers as his best position, though Scholes believes it is on the left-wing where he can be the most devastating.
Asked if Sancho has shown his best position, Scholes continued: "Probably not, no. When you are not doing as well as you should be, it is hard to find and know what your best position is.
"I think he has played in the middle at times as a No.10 and I really don't see him in that position; I see him on the left-hand side, really. But Marcus (Rashford) has been in top quality form out there.
"I know he played on the right-hand side at Dortmund and was brilliant. Sometimes, though, it is about the players you have got with you and the players at Dortmund suited him. He had (Achraf) Hakimi flying down the wing on the outside of him and was really quick.
"I know Jadon is not the quickest, but he is quick enough, and he has got the ability, the skill and the cleverness of mind to link with players. He also linked with (Erling) Haaland as a centre-forward in that team as well.
"It may have just taken him a bit of time to get used to the players around him. Fingers crossed, starting from next year, we will see a better Sancho."
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