Profile: Luke Shaw

Widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in English football, 18-year-old Luke Shaw arrives at Manchester United with the potential for many seasons of success ahead of him.
Having returned from the World Cup in Brazil with Roy Hodgson’s England, Shaw arrived at the Aon Training Complex on Friday to seal his move, just a day after the Reds completed the signing of Ander Herrera from Athletic Club. Here, we chart his fledgling career...

The early years: Despite his tender age, United’s new recruit is remarkably experienced after flourishing at Southampton under the tutelage of former managers Nigel Adkins and Mauricio Pochettino, making 67 first-team appearances to help the Saints cement their status as a Barclays Premier League club. However, his progress at St Mary’s began back in 2004 when he joined the south coast outfit as a fledgling 10-year-old prospect... but only after boyhood team Chelsea turned him down for being too small. “I think it was only when I was about 14 or 15 I got taller and bigger,” he recalls of his time at Stamford Bridge. “I can't remember much of being released. But I remember the first day of my trial at Southampton – I got a phone call straight away to say they wanted me.” Shaw then graduated through a youth academy that has recently produced high-profile graduates such as Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale, Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and their very own Adam Lallana, alerting several big clubs to his seemingly immeasurable talents.

First-team action: In January 2012, Shaw took his much-anticipated first-team bow during an FA Cup fourth-round draw at Millwall aged 16, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Jason Puncheon. He then watched from the stands as Southampton earned promotion from the Championship, although his chance to shine was just around the corner and a first-ever professional start arrived via a Capital One Cup first-round win at Stevenage at the outset of the 2012/13 season. A Barclays Premier League debut would follow, paving the way for a maiden campaign that yielded 28 first-team appearances as the Saints secured a respectable 14th-place finish. The 2013/14 term followed suit as Shaw registered another 41 outings, impressively missing just three top-flight fixtures. Perhaps most notably, his team-mates became the league’s surprise package with a brand of football that helped them finish just eight points behind United in eighth place.

International honours: Shaw earned his first full England cap in a friendly against Denmark in March 2014, producing an effective cameo at Wembley. Speaking afterwards, the patriotic teenager was understandably elated: "Wow, I'm 18 years old, I've played in the Premier League over 50 times and now I have a cap for England and not many 18-year-olds can say that. I'm very proud." That performance helped convince manager Roy Hodgson to pick the 18-year-old ahead of his idol Ashley Cole for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil – becoming the Three Lions’ third-youngest squad member in history behind Theo Walcott (17) and Michael Owen (18). While Everton's Leighton Baines was preferred for the defeats to Italy and Uruguay, Shaw was given the nod against Costa Rica and kept a clean sheet alongside new United team-mates Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. He is now expected to start when the Three Lions begin their qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 in September.

What they say: “Luke must think it is this easy for everyone. But it shows just how well he has done and he deserves everything he is getting. To be where he is in such short time is unbelievable. He has everything. Not many people get past him – the best wingers in the Premier League won't get the better of him. I can't remember one. For such a young lad it is frightening really. I think it is full credit to Southampton that the mental strength of them coming into the first-team and taking it in their stride, I have never seen anything like it.” – Rickie Lambert, former Southampton colleague