- Planet Sport writer
- 13 August 2024
Man Utd's Luke Shaw to miss start of the season after suffering another injury blow
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has suffered another injury blow and will miss the opening three games of the season.
Luke Shaw began his career in Southampton's renowned youth system, the same system that created players such as Gareth Bale and Alan Shearer. Shaw is a left-back for Manchester United and plays international football for England. He has won two trophies at United, including the UEFA Europa League.
From Southampton to Manchester United
At the age of seven, Shaw joined the Southampton Academy and became a regular for the under-18 team at just 15. With Southampton in the Championship, the club reportedly placed a £4million price tag on the teenager after reported interest from Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Aged just 16, Shaw made his debut for the Saints first team in January 2012 in a 1-1 FA Cup draw against Millwall.
In May 2012, Southampton earned promotion to the top tier of English football after a seven year hiatus, with Shaw offered a professional contract to stay at the club.
During his first season in the top flight, Shaw became a regular in the first team, making 25 appearances in the Premier League alone. The following season, on his 18th birthday, Shaw signed a new five-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2018. On April 18, 2014, Shaw was named on the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year award and he also featured in the 2013/14 PFA Team of the Year in the left-back position.
Less than a year after signing his deal with Southampton, Shaw left St Mary's and signed a four-year contract with Manchester United for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £30million. This made Shaw the most expensive teenager in world football at the time.
On this day in 2014: Luke Shaw becomes football’s most expensive teenager
Before the start of the 2014/15 campaign, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of action for a month. On September 27, Shaw made his competitive debut in a 2-1 victory against West Ham. The following season, Shaw started every league match until he suffered a double leg fracture in a Champions League match against PSV on September 15. He was given oxygen on the pitch and treated in a nine-minute stoppage before being taken off on a stretcher. Shaw was away from the game for a total of six months, returning to training the following April. His first competitive appearance since his double leg fracture saw him lift the Community Shield on August 7, 2016, as United defeated Leicester City.
On August 10, 2018, Shaw scored his first senior goal in a 2-1 victory over the same opposition. Two months later, he signed a new five-year deal with United.
In the 2018/19 season, Shaw earned three player of the month awards for the Red Devils. At the end of the season, Shaw was voted Manchester United Players' Player of the Year and he also won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year gong.
In the 2020/21 season, Shaw continued to improve as a left-back and scored his third United goal in a Manchester Derby victory.
Luke Shaw - England star
Shaw has been involved in the England set-up since 2011, making six appearances for the England Under-16 team. He has also played for England Under-17s and Under-21s.
In February 2014, he was called up to the England squad and made his senior debut in a friendly against Denmark, becoming the 1201st player to play for England.
On May 12, 2014, Shaw was named in Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was the youngest player to play at the tournament, featuring in the 0-0 group stage draw with Costa Rica.
Shaw was named in the 26-man squad for Euro 2020 and featured in a number of games, including England's 2-0 win over Germany in the last-16 and their 4-0 victory over Ukraine in the quarter-finals.
Shaw also came close to be being the hero for England, with him scoring just two minutes into the final against Italy.
In doing so, he became the player to score England's earliest ever goal at the European Championships.
However, England lost the final in a penalty shootout, so Shaw missed out on winning a major international honour.
Luke Shaw's personal life
Luke Shaw has been dating Anouska Santos, with the pair having a son, Reign London, who was born in November 2019.
Luke Shaw's net worth
Shaw has an estimated net worth of $44.5million according to SportsVirsa.
