Profile: Luke Shaw
Widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in
English football, 18-year-old Luke Shaw arrives
at Manchester United with the potential for many seasons of success ahead of him.
Having returned from the World Cup in Brazil with Roy Hodgson’s
England, Shaw arrived at the Aon Training Complex on Friday to seal his move,
just a day after the Reds completed the signing of Ander Herrera
from Athletic Club. Here, we chart his fledgling career...
The early years: Despite his tender age, United’s new
recruit is remarkably experienced after flourishing at Southampton under the
tutelage of former managers Nigel Adkins and Mauricio Pochettino, making 67
first-team appearances to help the Saints cement their status as a Barclays
Premier League club. However, his progress at St Mary’s began back in 2004 when
he joined the south coast outfit as a fledgling 10-year-old prospect... but
only after boyhood team Chelsea turned him down for being too small. “I think
it was only when I was about 14 or 15 I got taller and bigger,” he recalls of
his time at Stamford Bridge. “I can't remember much of being released. But I
remember the first day of my trial at Southampton – I got a phone call straight
away to say they wanted me.” Shaw then graduated through a youth academy that
has recently produced high-profile graduates such as Real Madrid superstar
Gareth Bale, Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and their very own Adam Lallana, alerting
several big clubs to his seemingly immeasurable talents.
First-team action: In January 2012, Shaw took his
much-anticipated first-team bow during an FA Cup fourth-round draw at Millwall
aged 16, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Jason Puncheon. He then
watched from the stands as Southampton earned promotion from the Championship,
although his chance to shine was just around the corner and a first-ever
professional start arrived via a Capital One Cup first-round win at Stevenage
at the outset of the 2012/13 season. A Barclays Premier League debut would
follow, paving the way for a maiden campaign that yielded 28 first-team
appearances as the Saints secured a respectable 14th-place finish. The 2013/14
term followed suit as Shaw registered another 41 outings, impressively missing
just three top-flight fixtures. Perhaps most notably, his team-mates became the
league’s surprise package with a brand of football that helped them finish just
eight points behind United in eighth place.
International honours: Shaw earned his first full England cap in a friendly against
Denmark in March 2014, producing an effective cameo at Wembley. Speaking
afterwards, the patriotic teenager was understandably elated: "Wow, I'm 18
years old, I've played in the Premier League over 50 times and now I have a cap
for England and not many 18-year-olds can say that. I'm very proud." That
performance helped convince manager Roy Hodgson to pick the 18-year-old ahead
of his idol Ashley Cole for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil – becoming the
Three Lions’ third-youngest squad member in history behind Theo Walcott (17)
and Michael Owen (18). While Everton's Leighton Baines was preferred for the
defeats to Italy and Uruguay, Shaw was given the nod against Costa Rica and
kept a clean sheet alongside new United team-mates Chris Smalling and Phil
Jones. He is now expected to start when the Three Lions begin their qualifying
campaign for Euro 2016 in September.
What they say: “Luke must think it is this easy for everyone. But it shows just
how well he has done and he deserves everything he is getting. To be where he
is in such short time is unbelievable. He has everything. Not many people get
past him – the best wingers in the Premier League won't get the better of him.
I can't remember one. For such a young lad it is frightening really. I think it
is full credit to Southampton that the mental strength of them coming into the
first-team and taking it in their stride, I have never seen anything like it.”
– Rickie Lambert, former Southampton colleague
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