LEIGHTON James played over 50 times for Wales in the 1970s and 1980s and came up against some renowned opponents in an international career which spanned 12 years.

But the former Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City winger is in no doubt about who his most formidable adversaries were during that time.

James felt the games against Scotland were always the toughest due to the quality of the full-back that he found himself up against.

Indeed, he rates Celtic legend Danny McGrain as the best player from the British Isles that he ever squared up to during his distinguished playing days.

“Scotland have got their two first choice full-backs out injured and they have still got a lot of options there,” he said. “But they have always been quite well placed for full-backs. I played against Danny McGrain and Sandy Jardine.

“Danny is the best British player I ever played against. If he was a player today he would be in the Premier League in England. He was a top full-back. He would be too good, too big, to play in the Scottish Premiership. The same would be true of Sandy as well.”

Meanwhile, James has predicted that Celtic’s continuing dominance of Scottish football could have an adverse impact on the fortunes of the national team in the future.

The 63-year-old is unsurprised that the Scottish champions have improved since former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers took over in the summer.

Rodgers is still highly regarded at the Liberty Stadium after steering the Swans into the Premier League in England for the first time via the play-offs playing an attractive brand of attacking football.

However, James feels that Scotland could suffer unless one of Celtic's Ladbrokes Premiership rivals, Aberdeen, Hearts or Rangers, manages to launch a meaningful challenge to their domestic dominance in the near future.

“Brendan was down here at Swansea,” said James. “He did really well down here before he went to Liverpool. He’s a brilliant manager. He did a superb job. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s gone up there to Scotland and done so well.

“He did a decent job at Liverpool and was very close to winning the Premier League. He has gone to Celtic now and turned them into an even better team. He has made it even more of a one horse race.

“It seems to me that it’s more of a one horse race than ever. I have got Scottish friends who are Celtic fans and they all complain that it is too easy. It’s sad. That will have a detrimental effect on the Scottish national team in the long-term.

“That is the beauty of the Premier League down here. Any one of 20 clubs is capable of winning it. Leicester City proved that last year. That is the big difference with the Premiership.”