2013/14 was a terrible year for Manchester United. Stung by Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the transition under David Moyes was anything but smooth.
Moyes lost his job before the season was out, with a number of top stars coming towards the end of their careers at the club.
One of these was Patrice Evra, who officially departed in the summer of 2014. By this point, United had moved to sign his long term successor in Luke Shaw.
United’s transfer business circa 2013 to 2015 was largely terrible. The one good deal United made was to bring Shaw in.
Shaw had just enjoyed a breakout season for Southampton as a teenager and secured a place in the 2014 World Cup squad.
Louis van Gaal didn’t have much to do with his signing. The club had already arranged the deal prior to his arrival as boss, all he had to do was rubber stamp it. Unfortunately he did not do the same with Toni Kroos – but that’s another story entirely.
United paid £27 million for Shaw, making him at the time the fourth most expensive defender in world football at the age of just 18.
This was a forward thinking move from United, amid a period of bad deals. With Evra on his way out, the club made a very smart decision to invest in a top quality young player, capable of becoming the best in the country, and making the position his own for the next decade.
It’s been a bumpy ride
It hasn’t been easy for Shaw. An early horrific injury cost him around a year of his career, and there was further damage beyond this, with the defender struggling for form upon his return.
His relationship with Louis van Gaal’s successor Jose Mourinho was difficult, with the pair only really seeing eye to eye during the Portuguese’ boss’ final few months.
It was a testing time for Shaw, who was at times publicly criticised by Mourinho, but he stuck at it, and is better and stronger for it. At one point it looked like Shaw could leave the club. His success is despite Mourinho, and not because of him.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Shaw has become a key player, and he has a boss who has terrific man-management skills.
Shaw has begun to add an attacking element to his game which was missing, providing six assists so far this season, also scoring in the recent Manchester derby.
On the right track
Right now Luke Shaw is playing like the best left-back in England, creating more chances than any defender in the Premier League, while keeping three consecutive clean sheets in the top flight. He is a regular for United, despite the competition from Alex Telles.
The £27 million fee paid for Shaw looks good value right now, especially when considering Chelsea paid nearly double to sign Ben Chilwell last summer.
Shaw is still only 25, and his best years are ahead of him. He is now set up to be one of United’s best ever players at the position if he can continue to progress and fulfil his potential, by maintaining this level of form and even getting better.
The foresight United had when Shaw was signed should be commended, as should the patience the club have had in him, and Shaw’s persistence.
While he won the club’s player of the year award in 2019, his performance level right now is far superior to his displays that season.
If not for injuries and questionable management approaches, and perhaps even his own lack of focus, Shaw could have been playing at this level a lot sooner. United would have preferred it not take seven years.
But we are here now. Shaw is at the level United always wanted him to be. Now he just has to maintain it, keep working hard.
The move to bring Shaw in could be compared to the investment United have made in Amad Diallo, signing a top young prospect, with a view to him becoming the best in the country. Hopefully Diallo gets there a lot quicker, without the bad luck.
Shaw though should be an inspiration to footballers at United and elsewhere, that whatever pitfalls are in their way, a combination of talent and hard work can overcome them.
- How Bruno Fernandes fared in Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo
- Tom Heaton tips resilient Harry Maguire to bounce back from England snub
- ‘Rejected’… Ruben Amorim suffers major blow as AC Milan deal for key addition collapses already
- What sources close to Patrick Dorgu are now saying about his long-term future for Man Utd
- Kobbie Mainoo says England are about to face a player Casemiro speaks so highly about, ‘Pedestal…’
- Bruno Fernandes has now told Man Utd to sign £85m midfielder who is ‘very keen’ on transfer
- Michael Carrick lifts lid on Sir Jim Ratcliffe relationship as optimism brews for new season
- Graeme Souness says he’s now changed his mind about Bruno Fernandes at Man Utd
- Harry Maguire says he knows why Trevoh Chalobah has been called up for England ahead of him and Luke Shaw
- One Manchester United player ‘liked’ Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan announcement
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
