England defender Luke Shaw wants to start afresh

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw does not want to be remembered as a player who broke his leg at a very young age. Rather, the former Southampton footballer wants to be known for his on-field industry and accolades.

"Of course I don't want people to know me as the left-back who broke his leg when he was young. I want them to know me for how I play on the pitch and for how many trophies I hopefully win," Shaw was quoted as saying by the Independent on Friday.

Shaw, who is part of new England manager Sam Allardyce's squad for the World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on Sunday, has so far played every minute of United's English Premier League campaign.

The ghastly injury during a Champions League group stage encounter against PSV Eindhoven where his right leg snapped in two places under the force of a challenge by Hector Moreno saw the highly rated full back miss the rest of the season as well as Euro 2016.

The images of the aftermath -- of a shattered lower leg and a young footballer in an oxygen mask -- made for gruesome viewing. It was, he admits, upsetting for his parents -- "especially Dad" -- yet Shaw himself is not squeamish about it.

"I wasn't bothered watching videos of it, or pictures of my leg. That might sound a bit weird but I feel comfortable talking about it because now I feel stronger than ever. It doesn't faze me. At first I did start thinking, 'Am I really like this?', but it's my leg at the end of the day," he said.

"Obviously I went through a bad time but I came through that stronger as a person. There's no scars now really."

Shaw is happy that he was not rushed back by previous England manager Roy Hodgson while selecting the team for the Euros.

"During the time I did think I'd be back for the Euros but when it was coming around I felt it was best not to rush it," he says. "I did speak to Roy on the phone during the time I was injured. I was (training) outside before it was announced [that he would not make it] but I wasn't training with the team. It was about a month left and I don't think the physios at United wanted me to go anyway.

"It was the best thing for me to not go and to get my fitness back over the summer," he adds. "I wished I was there but I look back at it now as a good decision I didn't go."

--IANS

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