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Luke Shaw became the world’s most expensive teenager on joining Manchester United
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His time at Old Trafford has been troublesome at times, with injuries and criticism holding him back
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A first-choice defender for club and country he has amassed an enviable fortune
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.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
