Luke Shaw has played under 8 different managers at Man Utd, only one player in history was there for 9

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is the club’s current longest serving player.

When Luke Shaw signed for Manchester United in 2014, he had high hopes for a long and successful career at the club.

Luke Shaw has ticked one box. He has had a long career at United, but it has not quite been the rip-roaring triumph he would have hoped. Success is a matter of opinion.

A devastating injury in 2015 left Shaw with a mountain to climb to get back to the top level, and this has meant he only made his 300th club appearance in 2025 – having been overtaken by Bruno Fernandes, who signed for the club in 2020.

Shaw’s career has still been a success in the context that he is still holding down a first team spot in 2025, having won trophies along the way – just not an elusive league title.

And there is further background to Shaw’s journey. He has played under eight different managers during his time at the club, including caretaker bosses.

It is testament to his ability that managers continue to rate Shaw and want him to be part of the set up.

Playing under eight different coaches would be a club record – but one former Manchester United player has played under more managers during his time at the club.

• READ MORE: Manchester United manager history, trophies won, win percentage

Only David de Gea has played under more managers

Luke Shaw’s former teammate David de Gea actually bettered Luke Shaw, by playing under nine different managers. It is the most of any player in Manchester United history.

These were Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag.

De Gea was released from his contract under Ten Hag in 2023 after the FA Cup Final defeat, with the manager choosing to replace him with Andre Onana.

During his time at United, De Gea was a four-time player of the year winner, and established himself as one of the club’s best ever goalkeepers.

Shaw’s list is slightly different, having missed the Ferguson and Moyes eras.

The left-back played under Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ruben Amorim.

Phil Jones could have matched De Gea’s nine, and technically he was present for nine managers.

However, Jones did not play a game under caretaker boss Michael Carrick, nor did he play a game under Erik ten Hag, after suffering what amounted to season ending injury in his first pre-season training session under the Dutchman.

• David de Gea played the most number of games in his career under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (120) to 113 under Jose Mourinho.
• Luke Shaw played the most under Solskjaer too, 118, with Erik ten Hag next with 62.
• Phil Jones racked up most appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson (65) followed by Mourinho (57).

If you want to remove caretaker managers Michael Carrick, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs, while keeping Rangnick as a lengthy interim… David de Gea (7 managers) still edges Jones and Shaw (6 each).

Removing Rangnick, De Gea would still rank 6 permanent managers to 5 each for Jones and Shaw.

It’s possible Luke Shaw could reach nine

Luke Shaw is under contract at Manchester United until 2027. And there is always a chance that he outlasts current head coach Ruben Amorim.

Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists Amorim will get the best part of three years in charge to show what he can do. It was great backing, but football is not always straightforward.

David de Gea is now playing for Fiorentina, signing for the Italian side in 2024 after taking a year out of football to reassess, having been left stunned by his release from Manchester United.

De Gea has only had one manager at Fiorentina, with Raffaele Palladino in charge for the entirety of his stay at the Serie A club.