Rumors of Luke Shaw demise at Old Trafford have been greatly exaggerated. Tonight the young English left back was handed a place in the starting XI, for the first time since April 30.
It’s a historic occasion, as his first team appearance in the starting XI for the UEFA Champions League group stage clash against CSKA Moscow marks his 50th appearance in a Red Devils shirt.
Tonight's #MUFC team to face CSKA Moscow… pic.twitter.com/7o29qkl4Cp
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 5, 2017
This #UCL match marks a milestone appearance for @LukeShaw23! pic.twitter.com/HB6ibNJIVS
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 5, 2017
Ever since he moved up from Southampton in the summer of 2014 (in a deal that was the richest ever for a British teenage footballer at the time) Luke Shaw has had a very dramatic, roller coaster stay at the Theatre of Dreams.
He’s been injury plagued, thrown under the bus by Jose Mourinho on several occasions, and also had his fitness, desire and commitment publicly questioned by two managers.
However, he’s also enjoyed a period where he settled in nicely as a starter in the back line; at least up until the gruesome leg injury that made worldwide headlines versus PSV Eindhoven in a September of 2015 UCL group stage contest. He hasn’t been the same player since that injury, and his future at United has been the source of rampant speculation the past couple of years.
As is evident by Jose Mourinho’s line-up decision today however, Shaw will get his chance to fight for a keep his place in the team.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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