Resilience – a word that epitomises Luke Shaw.
Over the years, he has suffered constant scrutiny in the media whilst being marred by multiple hapless injury struggles. In order to reach the position that he is in right now being hailed as one of the best left backs in world football, he has overcome masses and certainly hasn’t shied away from challenges. From being on the verge of losing his leg to suffering a nasty head injury on his return to the England side, his endeavour hasn’t reduced in the slightest. After years of hard work, he now has multiple club player of the year awards and a regular starting place to show for his persistence. Having endured doubt from many over time, he is all set to feature in the European Championships over the next month after being called up by Gareth Southgate as a reward for his stellar season at United.
Let's roll back the clock to 15th September 2015: a Champions League night in the Netherlands. At the age of twenty, just over a year after signing from Southampton at only eighteen, Luke suffered the ultimate low. After a now trademark surging forward run, the impact from a challenge by PSV’s Hector Moreno left him with a career-threatening double leg fracture. As Luke later revealed, there was serious doubt over whether he’d keep his leg – let alone grace a football pitch ever again.
Giving up has never been in Luke’s DNA. Having spent almost a year on the sidelines (undoubtedly a mentally and physically taxing period), he defied the odds to return to the United side the following August after months upon months of rehab.
Despite overcoming the injury, Luke still suffered from multiple niggles on his return after such a long period of absence. There was a constant showcase of negative media attention, catalysed by a wide variety of negative comments (including from within the club not least by manager Jose Mourinho) regarding aspects such as his fitness and lifestyle. The pressure of expectation exponentially grew but Luke didn’t ever visibly crack, which is immense credit to his mental fortitude. Whilst particular figures lost trust, he didn’t lose faith in his game.
The graft Luke put in was blatant, with his impact in the 18/19 season instant as he scored his maiden career goal against Leicester on the opening night of the campaign. That evening at Old Trafford certainly kickstarted what was ultimately an excellent ‘revival’ season; a new contract with the club and a recall to the England side were immediate rewards. After departing on a stretcher after suffering a head injury on his England return in yet another unfortunate setback, he bounced back once more as has been the case throughout his still young career. After the departure of Mourinho in late 2018, Luke continued to reach new heights with freedom and less of a burden under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He rightfully gained recognition for his efforts throughout the season from teammates and the fanbase alike, winning the Sir Matt Busby’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards.
Luke continued to become a pivotal force within the side after his stellar 18/19 campaign, greatly pushed by Brandon Williams for large portions of the subsequent season which propelled him to yet another level. Competition can be the nemesis of many, but Luke excelled with his blatant winning mentality. Proving his willingness in the face of competition, he continued to develop under the influence of Alex Telles’ arrival in the summer of 2020.
Luke's attacking game has been massively refined over the past season, with maintenance of a high defensive standard causing such great efficiency down the left hand side. His flawless intensity and work rate has contributed to making himself a definite mainstay within Ole's system. With a goal against City and an important England recall for the Euros now particular highlights within this sensational season, Luke once again earned his teammates' plaudits by being awarded Players' Player of the Year for a second time.
The multitude of setbacks Luke has suffered have only made him stronger. He has overcome some major obstacles over his spell at the club to become a vital and integral force in this United side. For someone who was informed he may never play again, it’s remarkable to see how far he has progressed. In the face of adversity, the grind never halted. Here we are, after barely even being on the fringes of Southgate's radar a few years back, discussing Luke Shaw's potential significance in England's bid for glory this summer.
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