Luke Shaw is one of Manchester United's most important players.
Not too long ago, that feels like something you would have been be ridiculed for saying by some people. There was a strange narrative that seemed to encourage people to believe Shaw was unworthy of being a United player - even as recently as the summer just gone.
But how unreasonable that view was.
There often seems a disregard of the fact Shaw has won player of the year awards at United in two separate seasons - the players' player award as recently as the 2020/21 season, and both the player-voted and fan-voted awards after the 2018/19 campaign.
He was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year as recently as two years ago.
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Once again this season, Shaw is proving himself as an integral part of the furniture at United.
His completeness is proving a virtue in Erik ten Hag's system, where there is lots of onus placed on the full-backs. Shaw has shown an ability to be a significant attacking outlet while also a reliable defensive figure.
He is one of the best progressive full-backs in world football, which is achieved both through passing and carrying from deep. When Shaw hasn't been in the side for United, there has been a noticeable drop-off in the ability to progress the ball down the left side of the pitch.
His goal against Bournemouth felt like the perfect encapsulation of his progressive, attacking ability. It involved two accurate passes, including for a combination with Marcus Rashford, a controlled carry from his own half, and an illusive off-ball run into the opposing penalty area, from which he found space to attack Alejandro Garnacho's cut-back and finish clinically.
It was only Shaw's fourth career club goal, and only the second at Old Trafford. However, Shaw does have a further three goals to his name internationally, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer even regarded him as the best finisher in training during his time in charge of the club.
And the finish against Bournemouth, which was with his weak foot, was decisive. Shaw's creative ability is well-known - he was one of the top creators in Europe in 2021 - but an ability to pop up in the final third and score is also a useful trait.
His attacking influence shouldn't come as a surprise given his technical ability.
For United's third goal against Bournemouth, Shaw supplied Bruno Fernandes with a pinpoint, cross-field long pass into the penalty box, where Fernandes was able to square the ball to Rashford for a simple finish.
On the other side of things, while filling in at centre-back against Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Shaw displayed defensive security alongside the experienced head of Raphael Varane en-route to two clean sheets being kept.
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It was credit to Shaw's mentality that he was willing to put himself outside of his comfort zone for the sake of the team by offering to play in an unfamiliar centre-back role. And he took the challenge on and genuinely seemed to relish the experience. "I'm not going to lie I've been really enjoying it," he told club media.
Shaw has shown real leadership qualities in recent times, displayed by his willingness to step up and play centre-back, but also evidenced by actions such as his frequent participation in interviews after matches.
Shaw's mindset has always been something noteworthy. He didn't have his finest season in a struggling United outfit last term, but writing him off is always bound to be a big mistake.
Of course, back in September 2015 - at only 20 years old - Shaw suffered a double leg break that almost saw him lose a leg and his career ended. There were subsequent hardships too, including a domino effect of injuries and a rocky relationship with Jose Mourinho. Shaw was also targetted at times by the media for things such as his lifestyle.
But, through everything, his dedication has been second to none. He has kept his head down, shown resilience, and is reaping the rewards now more than ever.
His player of the year awards and team of the year inclusions are one thing, but the fact that Shaw has fought back to become a mainstay for England under Gareth Southgate is also a huge marker of his progress.
Shaw has been crucial for England in the last two major tournaments - a team of the tournament contender, and scorer of his nation's goal in the Euro 2020 final.
But still, there remains a feeling that Shaw is underrated and almost underappreciated for what he offers, especially for United.
People argue against Shaw's consistency, but multiple high level seasons, including this term, should constitute more credit than people suggestion he is 'just in good form'.
Some have even argued Shaw is 'finally reaching his potential', ignoring the fact that he was arguably United's best player in two of the past four seasons. Others suggest he only functions when spurred on by competition, which is disingenuous as it is natural for elite athletes to thrive with competition, while it is credit to his mentality if anything.
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It is about time that people start to acknowledge that Shaw is almost certainly a world-class full-back. The completeness of his game is rivalled by very few.
He was always going to be a key part of Ten Hag's project - that should never have been in doubt. Yet people somehow still find ways to doubt him, and it is about time this is no longer an issue.
Shaw is absolutely essential for United. When United are playing well, he is almost always also playing well and a consistent feature in the side. That is the case at present, and it is by no means a coincidence.
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