Shaw Talks Impact Of Jose Mourinho And Gary Neville On His Man. United Career

Luke Shaw sat down with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves ahead of Manchester United v Chelsea to explain how conversations with Jose Mourinho and Gary Neville have inspired him to turn his career around...

You could understand if Luke Shaw wasn't too enamoured with Jose Mourinho right now.

His manager has publicly questioned his fitness, focus, ability and desire. Very publicly.

However, Shaw is far from unhappy with his coach because he wants to prove him wrong and himself right.

When we sat down together the Manchester United left-back needed no second invitation to admit that he has not only failed to meeting the standards required by his club, but also realise that this is his last chance to put it right.

"I will do whatever he wants," he says. "I've always been a hard worker, but maybe, if I look back, maybe I wasn't working as hard as he likes.

"We had a really good talk and he discussed what he wanted from me and even in a week and a half I've seen a massive change in myself, not just on the pitch but off it as well.

"Now it's my time to fight until the end of the season and show the boss what I can bring to help his team.

"Maybe he is just trying to give me a kick up the backside having seen the potential in me. I think he's trying to release that and trying to push me as hard as he can because deep down he does believe in me.

"I feel he does, that's why I haven't taken things badly.

"He's just trying to help and push me on to what he believes I can become. That is what I needed so I'll keep fighting, keep getting fitter and impress him to become Manchester United's left-back for years to come."

Roy Hodgson and Louis Van Gaal both questioned his fitness previously and it appears that Mourinho has made him sit up and take notice.

Over the course of an insightful conversation, Shaw admits that he just hasn't handled the move to Manchester well enough. His lifestyle and living arrangements were just not conducive to being a top-class footballer.

"I've changed my lifestyle massively in terms of diet and who I live with," he told me.

"At times when you're a young kid - I'm not anymore, I'm 21 now - you've got to be more professional and I've realised that now, especially this year with this manager.

"I've changed my whole lifestyle and what I do in training and during my off-time. Now I've got to keep on top of it because I got too comfortable at the start of the season.

"I came back into the team after a long journey off the pitch with my broken leg, I played three games and then I went into comfortable mode where I maybe thought 'I'm in the team, maybe I don't need to try as hard now'.

"I took my foot off the pedal and looking back that was my fault and that's another learning curve, I've learnt not to get too comfortable because during my time at United I've always been the only left-back, always in the team when I was fit."

It was another full back who helped set him on the right path; Gary Neville. The pair had got on well during their time with England, so Shaw telephoned Neville for some advice.

At a face-to-face meeting Gary, in his typical forthright fashion, told Shaw what he was doing wrong and how he could put it right.

The fact that Neville had experienced similar things and made the required sacrifices to have an outstanding career helped Shaw to see the light.

"He said deep down that I had to want to do this and want to be here.

"The chat I had with him has changed my complete mindset, coming from the experiences he's been through at this club for many years.

"This is my last chance, I know that, I want to go down fighting. If it's not good enough it's not good enough.

"But I believe I'm good enough to be here and play for the biggest club in the world and to help the team win trophies.

"I want to be playing in and winning the Champions League so I'm going to do whatever the manager tells me to do. I'm doing to give it my all because I want to be here."

Shaw is a tremendously popular figure around the club and there is no shortage of people who want to see him turn this around, particularly Jose.

Ultimately though it is now down to one person alone.

Credit: Skysports.com