Shaw: The club is going in the right direction

The left-back, who has also been deployed at centre-back by the manager, has committed his next four years to the club and that would take him well beyond a decade of service since his arrival in the summer of 2014.

In an exclusive interview which you can watch or read below, Shaw talks about his reasons for remaining a Red and his ambitions for the seasons ahead.

Congratulations on signing a new deal here at the club. How excited are you to do so, and for what the future holds for you and this team?
"First and foremost, thank you. I am extremely excited and extremely grateful to be able to sign another contract here. I've been here for a long time now - eight years - it's my ninth season so I'm just really happy. From my perspective, I think the club is going in the right direction and I'm sure everyone can see that, and I have big ambitions to stay here and win titles with this new manager and his new ideas. I'm really looking forward to it."

And your form has been excellent. How happy are you with your game right now?
"Of course I'm happy but I feel like there's always room for improvement. I want to aim for the top and like I said, there are still little things that I know I can be better on but I think that's still normal. But other than that, I'm really happy and I'm really enjoying playing under this manager. He's got fresh new ideas so sometimes I'm in different positions but I'm very happy."

The manager has shown a lot of trust in you at left-back and at centre-half, which must be a huge boost and shows your ability as an overall defender...
"Yeah, of course, and I've always said whenever I've been asked, wherever the manager wants me to play, I'm always happy. I think playing in different roles, learning different sides of the game [is good]. I've played in a three as a centre-back before but playing in a two was very different but one I loved, and it was great for me to showcase what I can do in that position if the manager ever needs me there."

You hinted at it earlier, this is your ninth season as a Red. The new contract takes you to well over a decade at the club, which is phenomenal. Not a lot of players can achieve that - how proud does it make you?
"I think extremely proud. I think for me, for my family, this club is the biggest club in the world and it's a real honour to be here for that long and wear the shirt and play at Old Trafford week in, week out. It's a real privilege and for me, signing this new contract, I'll keep on giving everything that I've got and try to help this club [get to] where we are aiming to be. That's to be winning more titles, more Premier Leagues, and of course Champions Leagues too."

You're only 27, but one of the more senior players in the team now and a leader in that dressing room. Is that a role you enjoy, and how important is it for players like yourself to help the younger ones?
"Yeah, I think it's really important. Obviously, when I was younger, and I came to this club you could feel how different it was. [It's] the biggest club in the world, [so] there are a lot of different pressures that come with wearing this shirt. I think because I've been in that situation, I fully understand that role and how they're feeling. I feel like I can try to give my experience of how I felt at that time, and how I dealt with it, to the younger lads that come in. I think that's something the manager's putting on me at the moment, to bring more leadership into the team from the qualities that I have."

You've faced a lot of challenges along the road to becoming the player that you are now. How has that shaped you? Has it given you the drive and determination to succeed?
"A lot. I think everyone can admit I've been through a lot of ups and downs here. But I think it's not just as a player, it's also shaped me to how I want to be as a person as well. I've learnt a lot; I've grown a lot. I think you have to grow a lot when you are at this club, but I think it's only been for the better. Like I said, it's not just as a player, I feel better as a person. I've grown a lot over these years I've been at this club."

And that maturity shows in the way you always put the team before yourself...
"Yeah. I think that has to be [the way]. For me, that's the only thing I can do. I think we are all one big team and I think we are all fighting for the same things like I spoke about, and that's winning games, winning trophies and I think the team always comes first. I'm always happy to put my body on the line, whether I'm injured or not."

Our brilliant fans have always supported you. Do you have a message for them? What can they expect over the next few years with you as a key part of our defence?
"Thank you so much for the support. I really do appreciate it. Sometimes it's hard to show that, but deep down, we - not just me - love the support, we feel the support. Especially this season, it's been incredible and hopefully, we can continue that journey that we are all going through now with the end goal of winning big titles. Hopefully, that will come. Keep supporting [us] and I will give everything I have for this club."

Even though you have signed the new contract, will you still be pushing and trying to improve your game and pushing yourself forward?
"Yeah, of course, I think there's no time for complacency now. I think [it’s] definitely no time to get comfortable. I think we have all got to work extremely hard, especially myself, and I think the real good thing about here now with this manager is that he won't allow it and when standards drop, he makes it very clear that it's not acceptable. Everyone needs to rise up to their level and show a high performance with consistency and I think that's very important for us, going on how the manager shapes it out."