LA Galaxy boss Ruud Gullit fears Andriy Shevchenko will never show his best in a Chelsea shirt.

"Shevchenko is a great player and I don't think he's finished but maybe for some reason it doesn't suit him to play the English game," said Gullit.

"It's the pace of the game. Most of the time in Europe it's a slow build-up, you pass the ball, but in England it's pressing, all the time the pressure is on and the referees allow a little bit more."

The physical nature of the English game still shocks Gullit, who has worked abroad since he left Newcastle in 1999. He spent a year at Dutch club Feyenoord and has just taken over at LA Galaxy.

Gullit said: "I saw Newcastle play Arsenal and I was irritated by the fact Newcastle slammed into them and the referee allowed it. If you are used to Europe, you think it's a foul and you don't get it. You get frustrated and think, 'What the hell'.

"You play in the FA Cup against a second division team and the referee allows everything. The opposition kick you and you have to cope. Sometimes because of that you can lose a game. Not because of the football.

"But this is England, it is different. They have less quality than the opposition and they work their socks off. I understand that and I appreciate what Newcastle did but from the point of view of a football supporter, I hate it."