United’s unsung hero has been backbone of transformation under Carrick, his World Cup dream is now alive – opinion

Many Manchester United players have enjoyed standout campaigns this season, particularly since Michael Carrick took charge of the club in January, but perhaps no player has surprised United fans more than Luke Shaw. The England international is the only player to have started every Premier League game for the Red Devils this season. The left back is United’s longest-serving player, having signed for the club from Southampton all the way back in 2014. In fact, he has been at the club for such a long time that he has shared a pitch with head coach Michael Carrick. Across over a decade with the club, Shaw has made over 300 appearances with the club, registering an impressive 35 goal involvements. There were doubts over Shaw’s future at the club last summer, with the player struggling to string together consistent appearances due to a number of injuries that threatened to derail his career. A Tremendous Servant It’s impossible to say Shaw has not been a successful signing for United, having cost just £30 million when he joined the Red Devils from Southampton. In fact, in some seasons with the club he displayed form and consistency that put him in contention to be the best left back in the Premier League, if not the world. In years past, Shaw was a marauding full back looking to overlap at every opportunity and whip balls into the box for strikers to get their heads on. As he has aged and injuries have taken a toll on his ability to get up and down the pitch, the England international has adapted his game, showing remarkable versatility to step in as a central defender on the left-hand side of a back three and a back two. Shaw’s contributions to the mighty Reds are perhaps best exemplified by the two Players’ Player Of The Year awards he collected in both the 18/19 season and the 20/21 season. Injuries took a toll While he has achieved a tremendous amount at Old Trafford, winning the Europa League, the FA Cup and two English League Cups, it’s easy to wonder how much more silverware the Englishman could have got his hands on had he not been plagued by injuries over the last few years. In the previous two seasons alone, Shaw has missed almost 100 games through injury, suffering through knee, muscle and calf setbacks that kept him out for the majority of each season. The rarity of his appearances caused many United fans to question whether he would ever play a significant role for the team again. An ever-present season This season, however, Shaw has been a man transformed. As stated, he is currently the only United player to have started every game in the Premier League, which speaks to the value and experience the England international brings to the team. Both Carrick and former head coach Ruben Amorim viewed Shaw as a key part of their squads and one of the first names on the team sheet. Shaw got the reward his consistency deserved on Sunday, when he brought the ball down coolly in the area before drilling a thumping finish into the bottom corner to give United the lead against Nottingham Forest. It was a joyous moment for the full back who has, across the entire season, proved that he is more than capable of being the Red Devils’ first-choice left back heading into next season. His relationship with Matheus Cunha on the left flank is developing by the game and, come next season, United fans will likely see many more goals originating from that side of the pitch. With England manager Thomas Tuchel set to announce his squad for the World Cup on Friday, there is no doubt that Shaw’s commanding performances for United have warranted him a place in the squad. England would benefit from his experience, defensive prowess and leadership and he could play a key role as the Three Lions hunt for glory. Featured image by Alex Livesey/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mike Walsh Mike Walsh is an experienced freelance journalist who has written about a variety of topics over multiple years. He is very happy to finally be writing about the Red Devils, especially now that his favourite player, Michael Carrick, is in charge of the team.