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Michael Owen has insisted that one of his former teammates at Manchester United had the opportunity to become one of the best players in the world.
After four injury-affected seasons at Newcastle, Owen arrived at Manchester United in 2009 at a time when Sir Alex Ferguson had built arguably the most dominant team of his tenure at the club.
Ferguson's side had just won a third successive Premier League title and were denied back-to-back Champions League victories by a Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The campaign had also proven that the club could continue their success without Cristiano Ronaldo, who had left the club for a world record fee the previous summer to join Real Madrid for a world record fee.
One player who was immediately identified as a potential successor to Ronaldo at the club was Nani, who lived with his compatriot Ronaldo when he settled at the club.
Michael Owen has named the one player from his time at Man United who could have achieved even greater heights
Owen made 52 appearances in all competitions during his time at Old Trafford, winning the only Premier League title of his career at the club.
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While the Portuguese star would go on to enjoy a glittering career in Manchester, including four Premier League titles, two League Cups and Champions League glory in 2008, Owen insisted the 37-year-old had the ability to do even more to have done.
“There are a lot of players who were absolutely so talented and probably never (reached their potential).” Owen told me Daily star.
“And there were a lot of players who you think are a bit of a journeyman, and all of a sudden they get to the absolute top because they're like mental monsters. And you know players who were exceptionally talented and probably could have done even more.
'Someone like Nani at Manchester United, you talk to players and he came on the heels of Cristiano Ronaldo – he may have felt a bit in his shadow. But that child's ability…
The 44-year-old insisted Nani had all the necessary abilities to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese winger enjoyed a brilliant spell at the club but was often criticized for a lack of consistency
'He'd go and get the man of the match three or four weeks after the spin and then he'd get a little tap or something would go against him and his confidence might be damaged and you wouldn't see him a few times see more. months kind of thing. But he just had a lot of capabilities.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the Liverpool academy graduate's arrival at Old Trafford, Owen would enjoy one of the most distinguished spells of his career during his two years at the club.
The Ballon D'or winner lifted the League Cup during an impressive first season at the club, which included an injury-time winner in a dramatic derby win against Manchester City before securing the only league title of his career during the 2010-11 season. .
Owen left United in the summer of 2012 after scoring 17 goals in 52 appearances for the club.