Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been told that Luke Shaw has become the latest member to join his squad's senior leadership group.
Shaw has made a credible comeback under Erik ten Hag this season. After initially losing his place to newcomer Tyrell Malaica, he managed to reclaim his spot ahead of the World Cup and went on to have a solid tournament for England, playing in every game and grabbing an assist.
Post-Qatar, the left-back has featured at centre-half and conceded just once during those outings, keeping two clean sheets. And whenever Lisandro Martinez, or Harry Maguire have come on from the bench, he has remained on the field - being pushed to the left while Malacia is hooked.
READ MORE: Roy Keane makes Luke Shaw prediction
He received a lot of praise for his performances in recent months and he seems to be the clear number one choice ahead of Malacia again, Ten Hag persistently showing his trust in the 27-year-old.
Shaw’s time at United hasn’t always been smooth with several horrific injuries marring his progress while Jose Mourinho was not shy in criticising the full-back during his spell. But the ex-Southampton star has flourished under Ten Hag and is now one of the most experienced players in the squad.
As a result, former United goalkeeper Ben Foster believes the defender - who signed for the club in 2014 aged 18 - can lend words of advice to younger members of the United squad and help nurture their progress in the years to come. He further claimed he can be classed among the mainstays such as Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Raphael Varane within the current United squad.
Speaking to The United Stand, the former Reds goalkeeper said: “I think it took him [ Shaw ] a good four, five, six years to settle in. He’s had a load of bad injuries along the way as well. I think he’s got the point in his career now at 27 years old and he knows who he is now.
“He’s knows how to be a footballer, he knows how to live his life - we very rarely hear any press or media kind of stuff about Luke Shaw. He seems like the kind of guy who comes in does his job and goes home.”
Foster added: “I would put him in that bracket of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Raphael Varane where some of the younger lads coming through will now look at [up] him as well.
“I bet he’s the kind of guy who will go around to those young lads and help them out and say ‘I’ve been there lads, I’ve been where you are, this is what you need to do'.”
Garnacho is now considered a first-team regular having already clocked up two goals and four assists for the Reds this season. On his FA Cup debut, the 18-year-old won the penalty that allowed Marcus Rashford to fire home United’s final goal in their 3-1 win over Everton on Friday.
The teenager scored twice in the FA Youth Cup final triumph at Old Trafford in May as the young Reds lifted the trophy in front of a packed house.
While he has gone on to make 15 senior appearances since, Zidane Iqbal had not yet managed to build on his debut appearance in the Champions League in December 2021. However, he has been promoted to first-team training and featured on the senior bench ten times this term.
READ NEXT:
