Jose Mourinho thinks Luke Shaw has a future at Manchester United after 'perfect' Mauricio Pochettino response

Tom Doyle27 October 2017

Jose Mourinho claims that Luke Shaw's desire for a potential reunion with Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino show the Manchester United defender's strength of character.

Pochettino's new book, 'Brave New World', features quotes in the epilogue from United left-back Shaw, who reveals the Tottenham boss used to call him "son" during their successful spell together at Southampton.

The England international freely admits he wants to link up once more with Pochettino eventually, with the full-back even saying "I think he really wants me to play under him again".

Such comments only fuel speculation about a move to Spurs as Shaw's future - much like opposite number Danny Rose - is up in the air, with the 22-year-old having this season been restricted to just two appearances from the bench in the Carabao Cup.

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Asked if Shaw has a future at United, Mourinho said: "Why not? Because of his words?

"If you want to speak about his words, I would be very disappointed if his words were different.

"I am always disappointed when a player because he has a new manager, the new manager becomes the best and the old manager becomes very bad - and football is full of examples of lack of character.

"Luke Shaw was just honest. The manager that helped him come to the first-team, the manager that helped him to develop in the best moment of his career, is a manager he doesn't forget, a manager he likes a lot, a manager that maybe one day he would like to be reunited again.

"So, for me, the perfect words that show Luke Shaw's character in relation to the people he was happy with.

"He has a future here, I think he has, but the situation is not easy because he comes from injury after injury after injury.

"He needs two, three, four, five, six matches in a row to play, to make mistakes, to get condition, to get match fitness - and I cannot give him that. In this moment, I cannot give him that

"If he was a central midfielder then yes, because we only have two but at left-back we have so many options that the situation is not easy.

"But he is in the squad, he works and maybe the opportunity comes."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.