Former Manchester United full-back Denis Irwin has urged Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal to hand young defender Luke Shaw a run of games.
Shaw was handed a start at left-back by Van Gaal against Chelsea on Sunday, with Daley Blind missing the match through injury. And he impressed as the Red Devils only went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat in a game which saw them enjoy 70 per cent possession.
The youngster only arrived at Manchester United last summer in a big-money move from Southampton, but instantly fell foul of Van Gaal, who urged him to improve his fitness.
Shaw has seen his season interrupted by injury and missed the Red Devils' last six Premier League matches before turning out against Chelsea.
Irwin is a big fan of the 19-year-old and wants him to be handed regular game time between now and the end of the season.
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"Luke Shaw has had a stop-start season because he’s had a lot of injuries. I think he just needs a run of games to get up and running", Irwin told his former club's site.
"Shaw's got competition for his place now but he knew that would be the case anyway when he came here. He's got a challenge in front of him but he's only a young lad.
"And while he’s not had the season he would have liked because of those injuries, he'll still learned an awful lot", he added.
Indeed, Irwin has no doubt that Shaw will remain at Manchester United for the foreseeable future and contribute towards the club's success.
"There's no doubt he's a tremendous player – a pacey, modern full-back who likes to attack. I think he'll be here for many years to come", he explained.
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