Rooney backs £30m Man Utd man for England squad, Neville fears World Cup heartbreak

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has backed Luke Shaw to earn a place in England’s squad for the upcoming World Cup this summer.

England manager Thomas Tuchel will be desperate to guide the Three Lions to long-awaited World Cup glory.

However, the left-back position has emerged as a major dilemma for Tuchel, with no player yet managing to firmly claim the role.

During a discussion on The Overlap, Gary Neville asked Rooney for his thoughts on England’s left-back options.

The former striker said (via The Overlap): “Luke Shaw is in there as well (along with Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento). He has done well.”

Neville agreed that Shaw has been impressive this season but suggested Tuchel “may not select” him when naming the final squad.

To everyone’s surprise, Shaw has started in every Premier League game this campaign.

There has never been any doubt about Shaw’s quality, but recurring injuries have often prevented him from enjoying a sustained run of games.

United have frequently played just once per week for much of the season.

The lighter schedule has allowed the 30-year-old valuable time to recover and manage his fitness between matches.

Under former United manager Ruben Amorim, Shaw was often deployed as a left centre-back rather than in his natural full-back role.

That tactical tweak meant he joined attacks only occasionally instead of constantly charging up and down the flank.

The £30 million signing has earned 34 caps for England, with his last appearance coming in the UEFA Euro 2024 final against Italy.

After two years, he could return to the national setup, but faces stiff competition from young full-backs like Hall and Livramento.

Shaw will need to maintain his strong performances for the remainder of the season if he hopes to convince Tuchel that he deserves a place on the plane.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .