Former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise on Luke Shaw after the honesty he delivered during the pre-season tour.
Rio Ferdinand speaks on his podcast.
Rio Ferdinand has praised Luke Shaw's character.(Image: Rio Ferdinand Presents on YouTube.)
Former centre-back Rio Ferdinand has suggested Luke Shaw should be on the periphery of Manchester United's leadership group.
During the recent pre-season tour of the United States, head coach Ruben Amorim confirmed United's leadership group now consists of Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes. The group has been assembled by Amorim to deal with issues that directly impact the players.
As was obvious throughout the pre-season tour, there is an upbeat mood currently sweeping its way through the squad ahead of the start of the new campaign in just under a fortnight's time.
United won two of their three tour matches, beating West Ham United (2-1) and Bournemouth (4-1), producing two eye-catching performances in the process.
Shaw started the win over Bournemouth and Sunday's 2-2 draw with Everton, meaning he will be targeting a place in the starting XI for the season opener against Arsenal later this month. He is keen to make up for lost time after experiencing two injury-ravaged campaigns.
The former Southampton man opened up on the struggles United have faced in recent years during the tour, describing the environment in previous years as being "toxic". On the flip side, he admitted he is currently the "closest" he has been with the squad during his time at United.
And in the opinion of Ferdinand, Shaw will be able to offer another experienced voice inside the dressing room.
"[Luke Shaw's] stature within that squad, I noticed that while on tour, he has a very strong stature," said the former United defender on Rio Ferdinand Presents. "He has been there, nearly ten years. He's seen it all, bad times, good.
"He's one of the most experienced, most 'Man United' players in the squad. It was a strong comment from him [calling out 'stragglers' in the squad]. He must be feeling the difference, the positivity."
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.