Zlatan’s ‘special’ effect hailed by Man Utd team-mate Shaw

Ian Watson

Luke Shaw: Enjoying playing alongside Ibrahimovic

Luke Shaw has revealed the positive effect that Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s “special” presence is having on the Manchester United squad.

Ibrahimovic arrived at Old Trafford in the summer on a free transfer from PSG and the Sweden star has been an instant hit, with four goals in as many games.

Jose Mourinho also hoped the veteran could be an inspirational figure to the club’s youngsters and Shaw is already feeling his influence.

“He’s been really good. His aura…his presence,” Shaw explained.

“Jose said it: he’s always around the younger lads, bringing that experience in for everyone.

“For me to have someone like that with that experience, to talk to and learn from his experience… that’s special.

“He’s got good stories as well. Sitting at the dinner table, he tells a lot of jokes, but he wants the best from everyone as well. He’s focused on himself and the team, but he wants to do the best he can and get the best out of us players, too.

“He doesn’t miss anything. He sees it all and, if you’re not putting the effort in, he’ll tell you.”

Jose Mourinho: Enjoys Zlatan's first Premier League goal

Shaw has also lifted the lid on his first exchange with Mourinho, with the defender having turned down the Portuguese manager’s attempts to take him to Chelsea before he signed for United in 2014.

Reports at the time suggested United had offered a better wage deal, but Shaw insists his decision was purely about his best chance of playing first-team football.

The Portuguese has clearly not held that against him, making him an instant first choice, but he did remind Shaw about it.

“We spoke about it. He said it to me first….I was just going to leave it,” explained the former Southampton full-back.

“He had a joke at me about it but there are no hard feelings. It wasn’t even a talk we had to have, to clear the air or anything.

“I just thought that at that point in my career, I had a better chance of playing at Manchester United. Patrice Evra was leaving and Jose, at that time, had a solid back four that I knew he liked. So, even though Chelsea were much closer to my home, I felt United were the better choice for me.

“I was never focused on the money side at that point. It wasn’t to do with wages, it was about football.”