Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has backed fellow Dutchman Alexander Buttner to make his mark at the club in the future.

Defender Buttner played the full 90 minutes in United's 2-2 draw at West Ham United in the FA Cup on Saturday evening.

Van Nistelrooy believes Buttner has performed well since joining from Vitesse Arnhem in the summer.

"Alexander has made a great start," van Nistelrooy told ManUtd.com. "He needs a bit more time as he's definitely somebody for the future.

"He's been getting games in the Champions League. For him, it's a dream come true. He's got the ability and needs to learn to obtain more experience and he's definitely somebody to look out for."

Buttner has made seven appearances for United.