Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has lavished praise on Luke Shaw, with the defender playing a vital role in the team's recent run of strong form.
The Red Devils made it five straight Premier League victories with a 2-1 success over Manchester City on Saturday, while they have now won their last nine games in all competitions.
Shaw has been used as a central defender since the 2022 World Cup, and he again impressed in that area of the field in the Manchester derby.
The 27-year-old was dropped earlier this season due to his disappointing performances against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, and Ten Hag has said that he appreciated Shaw's 'honesty' when it came to his early-season form.
"It's quite obvious. I like it that he is so honest. After the second game [at Brentford], he didn't play but he said 'I fully understand, my performance is not right'. But, from the first day in training in pre-season, he was working really hard," Ten Hag told reporters.
© Reuters
"You can see, when he is in the right approach, he is a top player. Not even only a team player, he is a leader. He has shown a lot of leading capacity, the example at this moment, with his skills, his physical power.
"He brings a lot to the team, also in his mentality. Now he is an example, how to win big games, and I'm really happy with his development. I think it's huge, if it's at centre-half or left full-back, he is a really great player and a great personality for the dressing room."
Ten Hag also discussed his decision to select Shaw as a centre-back against Man City, with Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof all on the bench.
"It is a big decision but I think, when you analyse the profile of [Erling Braut] Haaland and analyse also the combination with [Kevin] De Bruyne, I think it was the right decision," said the Dutchman.
© Reuters
"He has the physical power to compete with them but also has the tactical feel to make the right decisions and he has the technical skills as well to play in that position.
"I think, for [the City game], it matches really well but, in other games, he can contribute even more from the left-back position. So we can see the tactical choice, we can see from game to game what we need.
"I think we have more players in our squad who have that capacity to be multi-functional and we can use them as a weapon in games."
Ten Hag now has a big decision to make when it comes to Wednesday's Premier League clash against Crystal Palace, with Martinez pushing to return in central defence, which could see Tyrell Malacia drop out of the side to allow Shaw to switch to the left-back position.
Matt Law
