Manchester United extended Luke Shaw’s contract over the summer, keeping the 22-year-old at the club until 2019, after Jose Mourinho decided to hand him a second chance to impress this season, according to reports.
The Englishman endured a torrid 2016/17 campaign under Mourinho. He begun the season with a series of impressive displays at left-back but was soon cast into obscurity following a 3-1 defeat at Watford in September, and from October to March he only played 70 minutes in a red shirt amid a series of injury problems and confidence issues.
Speaking ahead of United’s clash with Everton in early April, the Portuguese publicly criticised Shaw for failing to reach the standard in training necessary to compete for a place in the match-day squad, noting that the likes of Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind were miles ahead of him in that department. He then gave Shaw a chance to prove him wrong against the Toffees, sending him on during the latter stages, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, producing a dedicated display.
Shaw was handed further chances against Sunderland and Anderlecht, and impressed with his commitment to the cause and raw energy on the left flank, only to have his season cut short by ankle ligament damage sustained against Swansea City in late April. He made his return to action last week during the second half against Burton Albion but doubt continues to surround whether he can forge his way back into Mourinho’s plans.
However, according to the Sun‘s Mike McGrath, Mourinho has already given Shaw a vote of confidence by extending his contract – set to expire at the end of the campaign – until 2019 over the summer.
