A reduced role at international level certainly does not equal a footballer of below-par ability.
Take Marcus Rashford for instance, left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for England’s Euro 2024 campaign.
Rashford’s new Manchester United team-mate Joshua Zirkzee only played four minutes across the tournament. £52 million centre-half Leny Yoro did not make the France roster either, despite an exceptional club campaign with Lille.
Matthijs de Ligt, another of Man United’s leading summer targets, also spent the Euros stuck on Ronald Koeman’s backline.
Tyrick Mitchell, meanwhile, spent the summer watching on from home. Ignored by Southgate despite the lack of alternative left-backs at his disposal.
Manchester United eye Tyrick Mitchell as Luke Shaw replacement
Mitchell’s omission was certainly a bone of contention among many supporters, especially with Luke Shaw not fit enough to start until the final and Kieran Trippier looking very much like a square peg in a round hole.
Whoever replaces Southgate in the Three Lions dugout will have an early decision to make about the future of England’s left-back spot. With Shaw not getting any younger – or fitter, for that matter – Mitchell seems a likely candidate to step in.
And perhaps not only at international level either.
According to The Mirror, the Crystal Palace academy graduate is on Man United’s left-back shortlist alongside the likes of Feyenoord’s David Hancko.
Stuart Pearce, one of the finest left-sided full-backs in English football history, has his doubts. Replacing Shaw – for club and country – would be arguably be a challenge beyond most mortals, with only a handful of left-backs possessing his supreme technical ability and rock-solid, one-v-one defensive skillset.
“Luke Shaw is an outstanding full-back, there is no doubt about that,” Pearce, capped 78 times by England until 1999, tells talkSPORT (26 July, 11am). “When he is fit, he is one of the best left-backs in world football in my opinion.
“Mitchell has certainly been grabbing the headlines. But Gareth didn’t see fit to take him with the England squad. So you’re talking about a player that isn’t an international player, so I don’t know (if he’s ready for Man United).
“But he’s certainly got good years ahead of him.”
Does Shaw have a future at centre-back?
Shaw celebrated his 29th birthday in mid-July.
Pearce can see the £30 million signing from Southampton blossoming if he ends up adopting a more central role in his latter years, Shaw having excelled at times during the 2022/23 campaign in that role.
Shaw was particularly outstanding up against Erling Haaland as Man United defeated rivals City in January 2022 in the absence of Lisandro Martinez.
“Whether he will go and evolve and end up playing as a left-sided centre-half eventually,” muses Pearce, the former West Ham, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest ace.
“He’s shown he can do it and he’s absolutely outstanding at doing it.”
When fit, there is no doubting that Shaw belongs amongst Europe’s elite full-backs. The problem is, however, he is not nearly fit enough.
“Huge player for us,” Trent Alexander-Arnold told the official England YouTube channel after Shaw belatedly made his mark following an injury-hit start to Euro 2024.
“Obviously he came with a little bit of doubt as to whether, when he is going to be fit, etc.
“He has been on the pitch and delivered for us. He has been really, really good. He is a massive addition to the squad and someone who helped us the other day win the game.
“Incredible.”
- READ MORE: Manchester United confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25
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