Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has expressed his delight at having the backing of manager Louis van Gaal after impressive performances in recent weeks.
After the Dutchman’s comments reiterated his faith in the England international – who was the youngest player to feature at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil last summer – the former Southampton man has received a boost in confidence.
Shaw made the £27 million switch from St. Mary’s to become one of van Gaal’s earliest signings, and despite a number of setbacks through fitness and injury previously in the campaign, he has strived to excellence and become the first-choice full back in the Old Trafford set-up.
“I was really happy when I saw the manager had said that about me,” the defender responded when asked about the comments from the 63-year-old boss. “Just to know he’s got trust in me is something special and I couldn’t ask for any more.”
However, the 19-year-old was forced to withdraw with the weekend’s 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace prematurely, and supporters will be hoping he can recover in time for the upcoming clash at the Theatre of Dreams with Arsenal.
Shaw admitted he was well aware of his struggles in the opening months of his Manchester United, and added: “With all the injuries, it’s been quite hard. My season hasn’t been the best but not the worst either.”
The Red Devils now look set to secure Champions League football, and can only fall to fifth place due they lose both fixtures, while Liverpool secure maximum points with a staggering goal difference. After his first season in Manchester, Shaw looked back positively on his first 12 months as a Red.
“As a 19-year-old boy, to be able to think that you’ll be playing in the Champions League next season is really incredible,” he expressed. “It’s something that I want to achieve but not just me, everyone else in the squad wants to achieve it too. It’s one of the biggest competitions in world and we all want to show what we can do on the big stage.”
Luke Shaw has made 16 league appearances for Manchester United this season.
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