Luke Shaw: Manchester United defender 'privileged' to get England recall
Shaw scored his first goal for Manchester United in their 2-1 win over Leicester in the first game of the season
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw said he was "privileged" to get an England recall after overcoming "difficulties" in the past three years.
Shaw could play in the Nations' League tie against Spain on Saturday and Tuesday's friendly versus Switzerland.
Full-back Shaw, 23, broke his leg in two places in 2015, missed two months of 2016-17 with a groin injury and then twice had surgery on a foot injury.
However, he has played every minute of United's opening four games in 2018-19.
Shaw became one of the most expensive teenagers in world football when, aged 18, he moved from Southampton to United for £27m in June 2014, four months after his England debut.
But he suffered a broken leg during United's Champions League 2-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in September 2015, which kept him out for the rest of that season and only started 17 Premier League matches in the next two seasons.
Shaw broke his leg in this challenge with PSV Eindhoven's Hector Moreno'Gone from a kid to a man'
In April 2017 United boss Jose Mourinho criticised Shaw's attitude, training, focus and ambition saying the defender was "a long way behind" his team-mates.
Six months ago Shaw's tactical awareness was also criticised, but earlier this season Mourinho said "we are very, very happy" with Shaw, called him "mentally and physically stronger" and praised his "better understanding" of the game.
"Of course I've had an unfortunate two or three years, that's in the past and I'm just looking forward," said Shaw on Tuesday, who denied claims he had in the past regularly drunk fizzy drinks and ate too many snacks.
"On the nutrition side, I wouldn't say I made massive changes. I've cut out some of the silly things I was doing.
"I wanted to prove everybody wrong and get back to my best. I'm feeling the best ever, not just on the pitch but off it. I've gone from sort of a kid to a man now."
'Jose Mourinho has always believed in me' Shaw and goalkeeper David de Gea are the only men to have played every minute of Manchester United's four games this season
Shaw has played seven times for England but his last cap came in March 2017, as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Germany.
Despite being criticised by Mourinho, Shaw praised his team boss but admitted he had a lot of things to improve on.
"Jose put his trust in to me at the start of this season and obviously at times, people thought he didn't trust me," added Shaw. "It would have been easy for him to say 'I want to sell him, I don't want him here anymore', but I think he's always believed in me.
"Of course you can see he's played a big part, but I think I've done a lot as well to get back into his team and long may that continue.
"Every dream for every player is to one day become the best in their position. I'm nowhere near that and I have to keep striving for that. I'm at the best club for that."
Source: bbc.com
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