• Luke Shaw became the world’s most expensive teenager on joining Manchester United 

• His time at Old Trafford has been troublesome at times, with injuries and criticism holding him back

• A first-choice defender for club and country he has amassed an enviable fortune

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Luke Paul Hoare Shaw was born on July 12th, 1995 in Kingston upon Thames, growing up a football-obsessed Chelsea fan and almost gaining a place at the club’s academy as a boy.

Rejected for being too small in stature, Shaw soon found himself at Southampton’s academy instead, swiftly rising through the ranks on the south coast and making his first-team debut at the tender age of 16.

So highly was he rated that already the big clubs were circling.

A big-money move to Manchester United followed in 2014 and in the intervening years the left-back has won honours and international acclaim, making him a household name in the process.

It naturally follows therefore that he has accrued an enviable personal wealth along the way.

If fame and fortune has accompanied his journey however, the same cannot be said of goals, with a meagre return for a full-back who enjoys bombing forward at every opportunity.

In 208 Premier League appearances, Shaw has only found the target once meaning it would take a brave person to back him to score in the online betting markets anytime soon.

Manchester United

Luke Shaw’s transfer to Manchester United for £30m made him the most expensive teenager in the world at the time and though – as we’ll discover – his prolonged spell in the North-West has been difficult on occasions, there have been genuine highs.

Twice he has been selected for the PFA Premier League Team of the Year following terrific campaigns, and capping off a very good 2020/21, he won the Player’s Player of the Year award, beating some illustrious colleagues to do so.

In 2017 he was part of the Reds side that lifted the Europa League trophy.

Yet still, throughout his tenure, a league title has eluded both him and his club. Regrettably, our Premier League betting odds suggests that wait may continue.

England

If Luke Shaw’s long stint at United has contained lots of up and downs, the same can be said of his international career that began on an encouraging footing in 2014, with a debut that had him replace his childhood hero Ashley Cole at half-time.

In total, Shaw has won 21 caps and though this is a respectable haul it would in truth be significantly more were it not for long-term injuries and other players impressing in his position.

In more recent times however, his England standing has improved immeasurably and after a string of brilliant performances at Euro 2020 it appears he is now firmly established as Gareth Southgate’s first pick at left-back.

Outstanding in each game, Shaw was ultimately selected for the Team of the Tournament while a career-high came in the final, with an early strike that briefly had the Three Lions dreaming of football coming home.

This winter, England head to Qatar rightfully priced up as one of the favourites and no doubt if Shaw returns as a World Cup winner, his earning power will go up considerably.

Critics and set-backs

In eight years and counting at Old Trafford, Shaw has certainly encountered his fair share of adversity. Injuries have blighted his time with the Red Devils, the most serious of which saw him side-lined for six months.

In September 2015, during a Champions League game against PSV, a double fracture of his leg necessitated a lengthy delay, with oxygen dispensed on the pitch.

Additionally, there have been several knocks and strains while a persistent hamstring problem has hindered his progress.

Such set-backs, when coupled with inconsistent form, has meant Shaw has repeatedly struggled to nail down a starting berth at United and claim the left-back role as his own.

Indeed, with the Reds under Erik Ten Hag about to embark on a new direction, with a more intensive style of play, it remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old has a secure future with the club.

On a more positive note, the player has previously shown a willingness to prove his critics wrong and typically does.

Perceived weight issues have long been a subject of mockery for rival supporters while the arrival of Jose Mourinho in 2016 soon led to the infamously divisive manager regularly singling out the defender for some harsh criticism.

So incessant were the publicly-made comments that reportedly several of Shaw’s team-mates regarded it as bullying.

How Much Is Luke Shaw Worth?

It is thought Luke Shaw has a net worth of £32m, an enormous sum but one that tallies with a player boasting a decade’s worth of service in the highly lucrative Premier League.

Much of his fortune derives from his salary at Manchester United that brings in £150,000 a week. This adds up to £7.8m per year and it’s pertinent that this figure does not include bonuses that can be substantial and varied.

Presently, he is in negotiations over a new and improved contract to keep him at Old Trafford.

There are also brand endorsements and sponsorship deals to consider, most notably a long-standing affiliation with Adidas, while Shaw has also previously entered into a promotional campaign working alongside the Italian clothing firm C.P. Company.

Property features heavily in Shaw’s financial back-story. In 2019 the player sold his luxury pad in Cheshire for £2.6m, complete with cinema room and all the other trappings we have come to expect from a modern-day superstar’s residence.

Switching Manchester for the capital, he now lives in a mansion in London that was described by OK magazine as ‘sprawling’.

It is believed that during each season, Shaw rents in the North-West from a former team-mate and this he has done before. On joining United, the left-back paid Cristiano Ronaldo £7,000 a month for the use of his Cheshire home.

Family

The footballer has a happy and settled life off the pitch, residing in his London abode with his long-term girlfriend Anouska Santos.

The couple first began dating in 2017 and though they do not court publicity, Anouska is content sharing insights into their domestic bliss via Instagram to her 25,000 followers.

These insights include a lavish third birthday for their pet chihuahua and snaps of their marbled indoor swimming pool.

In 2020, Shaw became a father to a son named Reign London, with a baby daughter born in the summer of 2022.

Completing the family set-up, he was raised by parents Paul and Joanna and has a sister Nicole, along with a younger brother named Ben who caused some controversy in 2016 by tweeting his dissatisfaction at Jose Mourinho’s treatment of the player.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

With the Premier League season kicking off on 6th August, 888Sport has surveyed over 400 England supporters to see what they’d be willing to give up if it meant the Lions lifting the trophy at the World Cup later this year. 

In a massive upset, the results reveal that 64% of club season ticket holders would be willing to sacrifice their weekly seat if it meant watching England roar to victory in Qatar in a few months time. 

But how far do fans think the Lions will actually go? With 56 years of hurt since England’s last World Cup glory, this time round a third of us anticipate that they’ll reach the semi-finals with only one in five believing the boys will bring it home. 

Surprisingly, London football fans were revealed as the most unloyal, with over three-quarters of them opting to cheer on the England team over their own clubs. 

 In the South-West, AFC Bournemouth supporters can take all the glory as they were crowned the most dedicated to their club, with almost half of fans refusing to give up their season ticket, backing ‘The Cherries’ all the way.

The differences didn’t stop there and these surprising statistics show:

• Manchester City lead the way in the league (4/7 outright winner) with over four in 10 sticking to support the Manchunians by keeping their club season ticket

• Two thirds of Newcastle United (9/4 to finish in top 6) fans would opt to ditch their season ticket

• Perhaps unsurprisingly, 67% of Leeds United fans (45/1 to finish in top 4) who sat at the bottom last season would prefer to back the England squad

Supporters Stick With Southgate

Despite some poor results at the end of the 2021/22 season, the general population remain firmly behind England manager Gareth Southgate as we approach the World Cup.

61% of fans voted 'no' when asked if they could do a better job than the Three Lions manager. 888sport are offering England at 7/1 to lift the World Cup trophy later this year - do you think Southgate will be celebrating in Qatar?

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FIRST PUBLISHED: 3rd August 2022

Match Information

• Stanway Pegasus 7-0 Sporting Bengal United

• When: Saturday 30th July 2022

• Kick-off: 3pm

• Where: The Westside Arena, Stanway School, Winstree Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex CO3 0QA

• Competition: Eastern Counties League First Division South 

• Attendance: 105

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Promotion to Step 6 of the National League System always fascinates me. It is the level of our Non-League structure where teams move up into what would have previously been called “senior football” back in the old days.

It is suddenly no longer just a participation sport for players and consideration also has to be given to accommodating spectators. Most clubs operating below the six steps of the NLS play on park pitches and local recreation grounds.

However, the grading requirements for Step 6 mean that they must have fully enclosed grounds, floodlights, seated stands, covered standing, railed off pitches, hard standing paths around the perimeter, toilets and a clubhouse.

Indeed, the Football Association’s documentation specifies the need for “an overall appearance and impression of being a football ground suitable for the National League System.”

This can all mean a huge financial outlay for ambitious clubs that want to progress through the ranks of the Non-League Pyramid but extensive funding is available.

So with Saturday 30th July heralding the start of competitive football for many leagues around the country, I wanted to visit a team making that leap up to Step 6 to see for myself how they had been making the necessary improvements to their facilities.

I chose my destination of Stanway Pegasus FC as they play in a school and would no doubt have faced major challenges in reaching those strict grading rules to join the Eastern Counties League First Division South.

Pegasus are a young club having been founded in 2018. They won the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division last season with 32 wins and two draws from their 34 match unbeaten campaign and established a massive gap of 24 points over second spot.

Stanway is a village with a population of 8,500 on the fringes of Colchester. The area has another team called Stanway Rovers FC playing at Step 5 in the Essex Senior League. 

Ground Description

I was very impressed with the work that Pegasus have carried out to meet Step 6 obligations. It is a floodlit 3G artificial playing surface with a high fence.

Part of that fencing has been removed and pushed back to allow a 50-seater grandstand to be installed behind one goal.

Result of my @ThurlowNunnL match today:@StanwayPegasus 7@SportingBengal 0

Attendance 105, programme £2. Football grounds visited - 2,455@fcbusiness @NonLeaguePaper @nonleagueshow @NonLeagueCrowd pic.twitter.com/6QkpG6ctq2

— Tony Incenzo - my 50th football season (@TonyIncenzo) July 30, 2022

This has been sponsored by local businessman Jack West who has named it after his grandfather – ‘The Ron West Stand’. Spectator toilets have been also provided and a smart clubhouse will be opened shortly for refreshments.

In the meantime, a portable snack bar was doing a roaring trade on the day. I liked the fact that plenty of attractive club signs are on display around the place to give a nice sense of identity.

In addition, an army of volunteers wearing club apparel were on hand to make everyone feel welcome.

Programme Details

On sale at the entrance hut priced at £2 and containing all the necessary matchday information. 

The Match

The visitors Sporting Bengal United from the east end of London were freshly relegated from Step 5 so these two teams existed two divisions apart last season.

But it was Stanway Pegasus in the ascendancy with a stunning display of attacking intent to run out 7-0 winners. Their marksmen were Keating 2, Payne, Dillon, Marangou, Booth and Ager.

After the opening two goals arrived inside the first 12 minutes, the Sporting Bengal players all grouped together outside their penalty area for a brief but hectic team meeting before the game could kick-off again.

I had never seen anything like that before during a football match! It really was not a good afternoon for the visitors who had two players sent-off. In fact, they were down to eight men at one point due to a team member being sinbinned.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2nd August 2022

Considerable expectation comes with being the most expensive player in English football history. Juan Sebastien Veron had that pressure when he arrived at Manchester United for over £28 million in 2001.

While a joy to watch at times, the Argentine was unquestionably a disappointment at Old Trafford, and was even sold to Chelsea for £15 million two years later. But is Veron really one of the biggest Premier League flops?

Firstly, it’s worth noting that he was also a let-down at Chelsea, so there’s a bit of a double-whammy here compared to many other flops.

Veron, though, was not a player who had an adverse effect on a team’s Premier League odds, nor did he lose all value during his time at Manchester United like other mega-flops have done.

Why It Didn’t Work Out

Consistency and durability were the primary issues for Veron rather than talent, as he discussed with the Manchester Evening News in 2016. 

"If I had one frustration it was that I had highs and lows every season. I was never at a high level throughout the whole season."

Veron was a bold signing because United already had a settled and all-time great midfield with Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.

Sir Alex Ferguson changed formation to accommodate his big-money acquisition, and he started strongly, but the intensity, physicality and speed of the Premier League seemed to wear him down.

Neville on Veron

Ferguson ferociously defended Veron’s ability to the media, though no one was doubting his talent.

Speaking in 2020, his former teammate Gary Neville explained why it ultimately didn’t play out as everyone at Old Trafford hoped.

"Juan Sebastian Veron was an amazing player. In my opinion, it didn’t happen for him, because I think we had the best midfield English football has ever produced, and I think will ever produce.

"Giggs, Keane, Scholes, Becks. I think these four players are the best Manchester United have ever had. They were on another planet.

"The midfield four played in what I would call a methodical way. They played a disciplined role, and it was a classic 4-4-2. The way Veron played, coming out of Italy, he moved into different positions and was fluid, trying to get the ball from the left-back.

"He was almost the first player who broke the code. The code had to break at some point. Veron came in with that interchanging mindset, but into a team that was set into its patterns.

"It was nothing to do with him as a player or individual, because he was brilliant.”

Move Happened Too Soon

The style of Veron’s play would have slotted far better into the Premier League later in the 2000s or the early 2010s.

A move away from 4-4-2 across the topflight allowed teams to make room for players of his ilk, who were no longer regarded as luxuries.

When comparing to other high-profile Premier League flops, it feels important to mention that after his Chelsea move, Veron had accumulated the highest transfer fees of any player.

He again started well in west London, but didn’t have a major impact on football bets with injuries soon derailing his Stamford Bridge stay.

There are players who simply were not up to standard, outclassed by others in Premier League predictions. Veron doesn’t fall into that category.

Bruno is United's best through-ball player since Veron.

Veron may have been a part-flop, but his highlight reel at United has some incredible moments, and divine balls.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) December 5, 2020

Yet, the pair of substantial transfer fees (though those figures seem minute compared to transfer sums in the 2020s) have to play a part in how we evaluate his Premier League stay.

Veron was a signing to take an all-conquering United to something even greater, perhaps a potential quadruple.

At Chelsea, he was a statement acquisition from a direct rival, a clear announcement that Roman Abramovich’s wealth meant the Blues could sign the biggest stars.

While the transfer still carried significance, it was obviously a failure, with Chelsea unable to recoup any of their fee after a string of loans.

Veron isn’t the biggest flop of the Premier League era, but the transfer fees certainly put him up alongside other underachieving imports like Robinho, Alvaro Morata and Radamel Falcao.

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