The rebuilding of Luke Shaw – and why he is still so important to Manchester United – The Athletic
“Luke, how are you feeling?”
There was a pause, a shake of the head, the noise filled by the celebrating Tottenham Hotspur supporters on the other side of the tunnel in Bilbao.
“Erm, devastated,” he replied. “I think that outcome goes with how our season has been. Nowhere near good enough. We must take responsibility for that, as players. It’s nowhere near good enough for a club like Manchester Unted. We must question ourselves: are we good enough to be at this club because this season is nowhere near acceptable. I can only apologise to the fans. I think they’re bored of hearing the same things.”
In 35 years of journalism, I’ve never seen a United player so downbeat. Shaw’s brutal honesty in a live TV interview was admirable, but some fans felt they had heard enough excuses. They were tired of the defeats, the poor performances and, in Shaw’s case, the apparently endless cycle of injuries he had suffered, as if that was by choice.
Shaw, 30, is Manchester United’s longest-serving player by a distance, having joined in 2014. Sunday’s match at Crystal Palace was his 300th appearance for United – an average of 27 games per season. Bruno Fernandes has played 303 in less than half the time.
With Shaw, injuries, rather than talent, are the issue. “I wouldn’t wish the injuries I’ve had on anybody,” Shaw told me as long ago as 2015, during pre-season in Seattle. That came after a first season at United when he only managed 20 games.
“I only had myself to blame,” he explained. “I didn’t arrive at the club in the correct shape and things didn’t go to plan. The manager (Louis van Gaal) told me his feelings and I totally accepted that. At a massive club like United, you must be at your best. But I learned and this season I feel much fitter; much sharper and I have the experience of a year at Manchester United behind me.”
A month later, he broke his leg at PSV in the worst injury of his career. That set an unfortunate template for his time at United. He didn’t manage more than 20 games in any of his first three seasons, then he went on a five-year run between 2018-2023 where he averaged 39 games. He’ll be lucky to match that this season, given United have so few fixtures.
Shaw’s season-by-season record at United
SeasonAppearancesStartsMins played
2014-15
20
18
1310
2015-16
8
8
654
2016-17
19
17
1376
2017-18
19
14
1331
2018-19
40
40
3582
2019-20
33
29
2525
2020-21
47
41
3634
2021-22
27
26
2210
2022-23
47
40
3645
2023-24
15
15
1179
2024-25
12
5
587
2025-26
13
13
1110
Total
300
266
23143
Source: Opta
His appearances in the past two seasons have been injury-hit again — 15 (12 in the league) and 12 (eight in the league) respectively. It’s not possible to start afresh in the minds of some fans, but this season Shaw has started every game, playing 90 minutes in most. He’s already passed his total for last term.
A trip to Qatar in March, organised in consultation with United, helped matters. Shaw spent two weeks at the Aspire facilities in Doha with chosen physios and a senior member of United staff. Medics undertook holistic work to assess a range of issues, with particular attention paid to muscles in Shaw’s right leg, which suffered the double fracture 10 years ago, to trace the cause of his issues and strengthen them to the same condition as his left leg. That forensic assessment, combined with the warm weather, contributed to Shaw being fully fit for pre-season and staying that way when competitive football began in August.
United have a view that they want their money on the pitch. Shaw is on the pitch, but there’s also a view that he’s learning a new position and shouldn’t be compared to the player he was.
There were some unfavourable stats circulating on social media last week relating to his declining output, in terms of crosses and chances created, but it’s not comparing like for like: he’s playing in a different position. Shaw has been a left-sided central defender in a back three before — one of his best games for United was in that position in a 2-0 win at Chelsea in February 2020 — but it’s not been a regular position until now.
Shaw is well-rated by United, who organised a special presentation at the training ground yesterday to mark his 300th game, led by director of football Jason Wilcox.
But just over a year from now, he will be able to talk to other clubs about leaving. His situation is exactly like his fellow defender Harry Maguire’s. United will decide if they want them to stay, most likely on a lower salary; if they don’t, they can leave.
United consider Shaw a top player who understands the game and is very difficult to beat in one-vs-one situations. His positioning in his new role should improve as the team — and a new goalkeeper in Senne Lammens — settles down, but he is a full-back dealing with more aerial balls.
Shaw’s height — widely reported as around 5ft 10in (178cm) — counts against him. United staff have noted that at Arsenal, every member of the back four is well over 6ft.
“I actually like seeing a full-back in a back three,” former United defender Danny Higginbotham tells The Athletic. “Especially if you are playing behind a dominant left wing-back who wants to fly forward like Patrick Dorgu, because Shaw can then go to left-back.“People forget that, yes, you’re playing with a back three, but when the ball is coming down your side and you are the left-sided centre-back, then if your wing-back goes forward, you become a back four.
“Shaw becomes the left-back, Matthijs de Ligt becomes the left-sided centre-back, Maguire or Lenny Yoro becomes the right-sided centre-back, and Noussair Mazraoui becomes the right-back.
Shaw’s height could count against him at centre-half (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
“It doesn’t matter that he’s not the tallest because you have two other centre-backs who are big lads. He’s good on the ball, calm under pressure when opponents are pressing, and can get forward if he doubles up by underlapping or overlapping Dorgu to get a two-vs-one, knowing you have Casemiro to cover.”
United staff agree with Higginbotham’s assessment of Shaw’s contribution, stressing his calmness on the ball, understanding of the game, his ability to play well through the lines, and take the ball forward. One game per week, rather than two, helps him, since injuries can creep up on you more if you go from playing no games per week to two, especially in your thirties.
Shaw’s honesty is also appreciated — he played badly against Manchester City and admitted as much to reporters in the aftermath. That performance was unusual because one of his traits is consistency, even though he’s a defender in a team conceding too many goals.
He has stepped up off the field, this season, too. He is consistently in by 8:30am doing extra preparation work and comes in to train at Carrington on his days off. He’s quiet in the dressing room but has a good manner, and has already struck up a friendship with Matheus Cunha. In general, United’s dressing room is a far better place than a year ago.
Shaw also wants to be in England’s World Cup squad. He’s only played 34 times for his country and 11 of those appearances came in 2021, but he’s made the England team in eight of the past 11 years. He’s yet to do so this year.
His desire to represent his country has not always found favour with fans who would rather he focus on staying fit for Manchester United. Even Peter Schmeichel, the club’s former goalkeeper who won 129 caps for Denmark, chimed in on that debate in August 2024, after Shaw had broken down with another injury after playing for England at that summer’s European Championship.
“Luke Shaw last played (for United) in February and yet he still went to the Euros,” he told the BBC. “Now, he’s injured again. He’s a Manchester United player — we pay him. He should be focusing and prioritising Manchester United and not his country.”
Shaw’s availability has been an issue in previous seasons (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
The recent defeat to Everton wasn’t his best night, and he was criticised by a frustrated Gary Neville on Sky Sports for “ambling” without urgency, but he was hardly alone in underperforming that evening. Shaw has otherwise been consistent this season and was impressive in the 2-1 win at Selhurst Park last weekend when he made some crucial blocks.
The key was getting him fit and keeping him fit in a cycle of training and games to increase robustness. Mason Mount has suffered similarly. Both felt frustrated because people were making judgements about their injuries: they’re clean-living professional footballers, who had done nothing to bring injuries on themselves.
United’s team isn’t where it needs to be and it’s unlikely that Shaw, given his age, will be in it when it is. But he’s an important player for now, one who has earned his place and must now fight to keep it, given the return of Lisandro Martinez.
If any players need some good fortune, it’s those two.
Additional reporting: Laurie Whitwell
