James driven on at Man United by late father

Daniel James feels inspired to hit the ground running at Manchester United after losing his father this year.

Published : Jul 21, 2019 21:30 IST

Manchester United winger Daniel James
Manchester United winger Daniel James
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Manchester United winger Daniel James

Daniel James feels driven to succeed at Manchester United following the loss of his father prior to his transfer from Swansea City.

The Wales winger has enjoyed an encouraging pre-season with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side following his move from the Championship club for a reported £15million.

James' father, Kevan, died only weeks before he completed his switch to Old Trafford.

WATCH | Solskjaer: Greenwood ready to be in Man United squad

Speaking after United's 1-0 International Champions Cup victory over Inter, James said: "Every day, I miss him. He always drove me on when he was here.

"There are times when I am a bit down about it but what he would say is just keep playing and working hard.

"I know he is looking down on me now, still driving me on."

James has started all three of United's pre-season games so far - against Perth Glory, Leeds United and Inter - and has been praised for his performances by Solskjaer.

He almost scored his first goal for the club against Leeds when he sprinted beyond Marcus Rashford and shot against the base of the post after being played through on goal.

READ | Solskjaer: Lukaku absence not hurting Manchester United

But James is not getting carried away by his performances, with United still to play Tottenham, Kristiansund and AC Milan before beginning the 2019-20 Premier League campaign against Chelsea on August 11.

"It is pleasing but there are three more games to the start of the season," he said.

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