Manchester United defender Lukw Shaw put in a performance to be proud of for England in difficult circumstances.
Luke Shaw when fit is England’s best left-back. And he was certainly the best available left-back in the England squad at Euro 2024 even if he was only 75 per cent fit.
But England boss Gareth Southgate put him in a difficult position in the Euro 2024 final, asking Shaw to make his first start in five months, going up against Spain wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
It would have been somewhat understandable in the circumstances if Shaw had played poorly.
Luke Shaw locks down Lamine Yamal
Luke Shaw had an unenvious task of trying to shut down Barcelona and Spain wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Yamal has been fearless this tournament, playing like a young world beater, scoring a sensational goal for Spain against France in the semi-finals.
Following England’s win over Netherlands, ESPN pundit Craig Burley expressed the view he thought Luke Shaw would get embarrassed by Yamal.
He said: “Shaw against fresh, fit, quick players, particularly the Spanish, like Lamine Yamal, he’s not ready for it.”
Now, speaking after Luke Shaw’s performance in the Euro 2024 final, Burley admitted the Manchester United defender played very well.
He told ESPN: “I thought Luke Shaw did a good job on him, particularly in the first half, for a guy that hasnt played since February.
“We talked about the physicality of the game for a youngster and you saw a bit of that in the first half, Shaw is a big unit.”
Shaw performance underlines quality
Luke Shaw was short of match fitness or at least sharpness, yet he did not show it. He limited Yamal better than any left-back has done all tournament.
It was a performance which underlined his quality. And while Burley, perhaps, was more questioning his fitness than his attributes, Shaw demonstrated that his abilities are good enough to override not being 100 per cent.
The best thing for Shaw now is that the tournament has come to an end, and he can rest up, to return on Manchester United’s pre-season tour.
He has been pushing himself hard in recent weeks, suffering multiple setbacks in his recovery.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s message to Luke Shaw before the final simply asked him not to get injured.
It looks like he came through without a problem, completing all 90 minutes, and keeping Lamine Yamal quiet. All he missed, was a winner’s medal.
Spain won the game 2-1, with both second-half goals coming down England’s right side.
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