Luke Shaw put in a near perfect performance as England defeated Ukraine in the Euro 2020 quarter final in Rome, coming up with two assists and keeping a clean sheet.
Shaw would not have been in the England squad for the Euros had the tournament taken place like summer but his form for Manchester United meant that he had to be in the squad.
The left back has become Gareth Southgate’s first choice player in the role, after Kieran Trippier started the first game, and he was involved in both goals.
On Saturday night the 25-year-old was integral once again as Gareth Southgate’s team made it to the semi-final, with a 4-0 win over Ukraine.
Shaw first set up club teammate Harry Maguire in the first minute of the second half, swinging in a free kick which the centre back headed home.
Next up was another cross from the left, this time from open play, which Harry Kane nodded home, to make it 3-0.
England’s best work came down the left and Shaw was also part of yet another solid defensively display for the Three Lions, as they kept their fifth clean sheet in-a-row at the Euros, and his personal highlights video shows how good he was.
The full back’s performances in the past two games actually means he’s over taken Zinedine Zidane in number of assists at Euros.
He actually needed just 3 minutes and 51 seconds of the game to have more than the 1998 World Cup winner had in 14 games.
Asked about it after the game, the United defender said, “A really weird statistic, you can’t compare me to him. He’s one of the greatest footballers.”
Luke Shaw provided more assists in 3m 51s vs Ukraine than Zinedine Zidane did in 14 appearances at the Euros
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) July 3, 2021
Shaw’s form for United in the past season earned him the Player’s Player of the Year award, as voted by for his colleagues, and it was tough to argue with.
It’s a complete turnaround from the form he showed whilst the team was managed by Jose Mourinho, who seemed to target the former Southampton full back.
Mourinho once again criticised his former defender ahead of the Germany game, hitting out specifically at Shaw’s set pieces.
Answering a question about the criticism, Shaw said, “I don’t know why he is still going on and wanting to point at me. I don’t feel like the set-pieces were as bad as he was saying.”
He obviously set up Maguire from a set piece on Saturday, and couldn’t even avoid questions about the new Roma boss after the game.
Shaw is certainly continue to show that he is a better player than his former boss made everyone else believe.
Featured Image Credit: BBC Sport