Luke Shaw Reveals His Extra Motivation to Help Achieve European Success This Season

​Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has admitted he is desperate to lift the Europa League this season, having missed out on the chance to do so back in 2017.

United beat Ajax in the final that year to lift the trophy, but they did so without Shaw, who missed the last few weeks of the 2016/17 campaign with a foot injury which ruled him out of the semi-final.

Ajax v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final

That wasn't the only big game Shaw has missed at United. He did not make ​United's squad for the Carabao Cup final that year, while a broken leg cost him a spot in the 2016 FA Cup final.

Speaking ahead of his side's clash with Club Brugge, Shaw confessed (via The Mirrorthat constantly missing out on glory has made him even hungrier to finally lift the Europa League trophy this year.

“It’s a massive ambition for me,” said Shaw. “I was there for the Europa League final and the feeling, even though I wasn’t on the pitch, was a feeling I’ve not felt before and I want more of it.

Luke Shaw

“I wasn’t involved and that’s what is pushing me on even more to get into this final, and others. We should be in finals and we should be in all competitions until the end. We are very confident at the moment.”


His track record with finals is a good reflection of his United career so far. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued his time at Old Trafford, and the defender has admitted that he struggled with the weight of being a United player.


“It’s completely different to other clubs when you sign that piece of paper here,” Shaw added. "You know how different it’s going to be and you have to be able to deal with it.

"If you’re not strong mentally and confident you will struggle to deal with it. I’ve had a lot of stick and if you come to Manchester United, you need to be able to take that because people are always ready to criticise you.

“There are only high standards here, so we need to be strong on that pitch, when it matters, and give it everything we’ve got.”


For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!


Source : 90min