Daniel James admits he needs to recapture the sizzling form that made him such a big hit at Swansea City if he's to fulfil his potential at Leeds United, and admits he was guilty of playing it too 'safe' at Manchester United.
James moved to Leeds for £25m over the summer after falling out of favour towards the end of a largely mixed spell at Old Trafford.
Rightly or wrongly, James found himself bearing the brunt of criticism from fans, but still managed to clock up a total of 73 appearances, netting four goals.
James will face his former employers on Sunday, and is well aware of the perceptions that surround his time in Manchester, but insists there are plenty of positives to cling onto.
“I had a great time at Man United,” James told The Times. “Some people can talk of my time there as a failure but for me I played so many games, I learnt so much and it was a great experience with top players.”
Nevertheless, he admits that he struggled to play with the sort of freedom seen during his breakout season for the Swans, who sold James to the Red Devils for £15m back in 2019.
“I was coming away from who I was as a player and why I got bought in the first place,” he says. “I felt part way through I’d become safe. If you’re going to be safe you’re going to be out of the team.”
It was a series of stunning performances, often underpinned by searing pace and dazzling trickery, during a breakout season under Graham Potter that caught the eye of Old Trafford chiefs, but James never quite managed to make his mark on a side still coming to terms with the post-Ferguson era.
Such was the winger's impact under the current Brighton boss, Leeds initially came calling in January 2019 in one of the most infamous episodes in the Swans' modern history.
The move was more or less done. James was even pictured holding a Leeds shirt aloft, such was the level of confidence in getting it over the line.
But Swans chairman Huw Jenkins decided to pull the plug on the move at the last minute, much to the disappointment of the Wales international, who since admitted that he threw his phone in frustration at the news.
Two weeks after that January debacle, James was back at Elland Road as a Swans player, and admits he found it difficult to focus on the task at hand in light of the adoration from the home support.
“That’s when it hit me again and I just knew what an amazing club this is,” he added.
“Leeds had a corner, the referee was seeing to something and the whole stadium was chanting ‘Dan James — he wants to be Leeds’.
"It was the only time I ever had goosebumps in a game. It made me stop. I forgot where I was. The game was just a blur to me.”
James insists he's enjoying life under Marcelo Bielsa, and has seen a recent upturn in form following his move to a more central role up front.
But he clearly feels there is more to come over the coming weeks, and admits he needs to get back to being the player that once dazzled the Jack Army if he is to really kick on for club and country.
“I looked back at a lot of games,” he says. “I had to really look at how I can get back to that Swansea [form] and be who I wanted to be. It’s up to me to be bold and brave.
"That’s what I am as a person and it’s up to me to be that on the pitch as well. I’ve got to hold myself accountable. I don’t feel like I’ve reached anywhere near my potential yet.
"I’ve still got so much more to go.”
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