Luke Shaw has admitted he understands why Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag dropped him from his starting eleven after a poor start to the Premier League season.
The 27-year-old started in United’s back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Brentford before being dropped to the bench in favour of new signing Tyrell Malacia, who has started the last four league games.
Shaw’s poor form at club level meant many fans were surprised at his inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad. However, the left-back was in fine form for the Three Lions in their final game before the World Cup, scoring his side’s first goal in a dramatic 3-3 draw.
But despite his heroics on the international stage, Shaw remains realistic about his performances at club level. Speaking to talkSPORT, he admitted that Ten Hag’s decision was ‘understandable’ and expressed a desire to fight for his place at Old Trafford.
“I think Erik ten Hag, the boss, he knows my qualities. He knows what I am capable of and we’ve had chats,” said Shaw after the game at Wembley.
“It’s understandable that, and I even agree, the start of the season wasn’t good enough and he had to make changes. And I fully accept that, I accepted it.
“The only thing I can do is train hard and wait for my opportunities, whether that’s in the cup games or the Premier League. Whatever I play in, I just have to be ready and play at the standard I should be at.”
England’s draw with Germany came on the back of a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Italy which relegated Southgate’s side from League A of the Nations League. Shaw and his England teammates now face a jam-packed October schedule before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Qatar in November.