I WAS CLOSE TO LOSING MY LEG
Shaw admits he thought about quitting football as he struggled with horror injury
LUKE SHAW has revealed how he nearly lost his right leg after a horror injury three years ago.
And the Manchester United leftback, recalled to the England squad after a 17-month absence, admitted he considered quitting the game as he struggled to recover.
Shaw, who has played just seven minutes of international football since the double fracture, said: “I
SOMETHING had to give after a nightmare few years for Luke Shaw on and off the pitch.
A love of fizzy drinks and a series of “silly things” saw a promising career falter for the England and Manchester United left-back. It also provoked some tough love from Reds boss Jose Mourinho.
Three years ago Shaw had to draw on all his mental strength to fight back from almost having his right leg amputated and thoughts of quitting the game following a horror injury.
The 23-year-old is the latest England star to reveal he used a psychologist to refocus on fulfilling the potential that saw him move from Southampton in 2014 as British football’s most expensive teenager.
“It was my idea,” explained the £30million defender. “The doctor at United’s been really good with me. I started seeing him when I did my leg.
“Everything’s really good. I don’t want to go into what we talk about, but he was a real positive. I benefited strongly from using him. I still use him now. He gets the best out of me.”
The work has brought Shaw in from the cold to start all four Premier League games so far. He is also in the England squad for the first time since March 2017.
“I’ve changed massively on and off the pitch,” he added. “I’ve matured, grown up. I’ve gone from a kid to a man, and I know what I need to do to push myself.
“I want to play for Manchester United, to stay there and fight for my place, and prove my worth to the team. I want to give Gareth a headache over selection too.” Shaw has been picked by Gareth Southgate just once, for that friendly loss to Germany in March last year.
The England manager expressed concerns Shaw had taken longer than others to grasp what was needed to reach the highest level.
He was not helped by the emergence of photos during his summer holiday which raised further questions over his diet.
Yet he has confronted the issues. “I spoke with Gareth early on,” said Shaw. “In periods when everything was going really well, I may have taken my foot off the pedal and got comfortable where I was at, not carrying on to the next level.
“That’s where I’ve changed from a kid to a man, I’ve realised that. That’s fair, you could say. But now I’m back in the England squad. I have to keep going and take that on board.”
Among changes was a “massively” different diet. “I’ve cut out some of the silly things I was doing. I’m training as I always have. I’m a hard trainer, wanting to improve every day.
“You guys will probably know because it’s always in the news – fizzy drinks.
“I’ve always believed in myself. I’ve had hard times. To want to be the best, and become the best, you have to be professional every day, minute and hour of your life. That’s what I’ve learned.
“From the staff and people I’ve had at United over the last few years, I’ve learned a lot. I need to look forward now and keep professional, training hard and improving as a player, doing what I’m doing. Focus on that.”
Of Mourinho’s criticism, he added: “I think, at times, he was frustrated with me because he knew I could do better. Maybe at times he was right.
“I had a chat with the manager before the season. He said he wanted me to stay and fight for my place, and that motivated me a lot. Now I’m fully fit and everything is
good.”