Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt has thrown his support behind Luke Shaw as the chatter grows regarding potential reinforcements for the left side of defence. Butt firmly believes that the 31-year-old defender remains fully capable of competing at the elite level.
Speaking about Shaw's abilities, Butt insisted:
I consider Luke Shaw to be a phenomenal player. Last year, there was a lot of talk about his injuries. He has indeed had his fair share of serious setbacks, but if I recall correctly, he played around 38–40 matches last season and was a regular starter.
On his best day, he is one of the best left-backs in Europe. I genuinely believe that.
Butt also came to Shaw's defence following a disappointing performance where the Englishman struggled against a lightning-fast opponent.
The former player continued:
Even great players sometimes come up against opponents they know little about. I think that’s what happened on Saturday. That lad had explosive pace and caught Luke off guard.
Luke is very quick himself and excels at tracking back, but this time he just couldn’t keep up with his opponent. It happens sometimes.
As an example, Butt reminisced about Denis Irwin’s match against Barcelona, where the legendary defender had to face Hristo Stoichkov. According to him, even the best can find themselves up against someone whose speed surprises them.
He added:
I doubt Luke will face an opponent like that again. I believe he’ll be just fine. I really like Luke.
Manchester United's next encounter is away against Everton this Sunday.
