Luke Shaw says thank you to Jose Mourinho

LONDON: England left back Luke Shaw believes his Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was right to criticise him and said the Portuguese had been key to his international recall.

The 23-year-old was last week named in the England squad for the first time in 18 months for the Nations League match against Spain on Saturday and the friendly with Switzerland on Tuesday.

His return to the international fold follows a strong start to the season in which he has played every minute of United’s opening four games after he struggled to get into the team last term, with Mourinho critical of Shaw’s attitude.

“I think he got frustrated with me because he knew I could do better,” Shaw said. “When I look back, maybe he was right. It was a tough few years but it made me stronger mentally. I wanted to prove to him I could do what he said I couldn’t,” Shaw told a news conference.

“I’ve matured. You could say I’ve gone from a kid to a man. I know what I need to do to push myself. I want to play for Manchester United, stay there and prove my worth to the team.”

Shaw was one of the most expensive teenagers in world soccer when he moved to Old Trafford from Southampton for 27 million pounds (about R538 million) in June 2014 aged 18, having made his England debut four months previously. He was a regular in former United manager Louis van Gaal’s team until he broke his leg in two places in September 2015, missed two months of the 2016-17 season with a groin problem and then twice had operations on his foot.– Reuters