Luke Shaw has been one of the most influential players at Manchester United this season and it’s tough to believe that he is the same player who was about to sold by Jose Mourinho, a few years ago.
Mourinho, during his time at Man United, time and again had come out to criticize Luke Shaw for his poor skills and decision making and it was almost certain that the Portuguese wanted to get rid of Shaw asap.
But under the guidance of Solskjaer, the England international seems to have found a new lease of life and according to Peter Crouch, it’s the man-management techniques of the Norwegian which have helped Shaw make a fresh start.
He wrote for The Daily Mail: “It comes down to human relations. You get on with some people, you have challenges with others. If I can give you an example from my own career, I’ll go back to when I was at Southampton.
“In 2004 Steve Wigley was manager after Paul Sturrock had left and I was going nowhere. Wigley wouldn’t play me but then Harry Redknapp came in. He asked why I wasn’t starting, I told him I didn’t know.
“He replied: ‘You’ll be playing every week from now on,’ and I ended up scoring 16 goals, winning a move to Liverpool. I always believed in myself, Harry coaxed it out.
“Shaw was in a similar situation with Mourinho but now he looks like the best left back in the Premier League. You can talk about talent, hard work and application but man-management is crucial. Get it wrong and it can set players back miles.”
Luke Shaw has been a revelation this season at Man United and up until now, he’s successfully keeping Alex Telles on the bench, the player who was brought in to replace the England international.
He might have made only five assists in 25 Premier League matches so far this season but he’s had a really positive impact in almost every game he’s played.
Also, Shaw has managed to keep himself injury-free for most of this campaign and this has really helped him grow and mature as a player.
He is one of the first names on Solskjaer’s teamsheets right now and his steady performances have also earned him a call-up to the England squad after a lengthy hiatus.
