Manchester United star pens new five-year deal

Dave Tickner

England left-back Luke Shaw has signed a new five-year deal at Manchester United.

Shaw was 18 when he swapped Southampton for Old Trafford in June 2014 for a fee thought to be £30million, a record transfer for a teenager at the time of his move.

He has had a chequered time in the north west, with a serious injury, form and fitness issues limiting him to 50 Premier League appearances in nearly four and a half years.

The 23-year-old has also faced public criticism from manager Jose Mourinho and was linked with a move away from the club only a few months ago, though he has become a regular under the Portuguese this season.

Shaw’s contract was set to expire at the end of the summer but he has now committed his long-term future to United.

He said on the Manchester United app: “If you look at my situation in the last year and a bit, you’d have thought this could have been impossible. But I worked hard, I wanted to be here and I wanted to make sure my future was here to help this club.”

Shaw added: “I’m very proud and happy. It’s been an odd four years for me. There have been ups and downs. From signing today now it’s all about looking forward and to how much I can help the team and become a success again.

“Even in the bad times that I’ve had, when I haven’t been playing and there was maybe bad performances (the United fans have) always stuck by me and believed in my ability.

“The hard work isn’t over. I want to stay in the team now and keep the shirt so I’ll keep going, keep focused and keep concentrating. That’s what I’m going to be doing.”

United have endured a difficult start to this campaign, with Mourinho coming under scrutiny following three losses in their opening eight top-flight fixtures.

However, Shaw added: “I think personally it’s only a matter of time that the success is going to be coming back.

“I can see the team that we have here. We have an amazing group of players and the talent we have is scary, there are a lot of young lads that are hungry for trophies.”