UPON release of Gareth Southgate’s selected XI for the opening European Championship fixture against Croatia, at least a few England fans would have gazed quizzically at the beast before us.
Not amongst the starters were two of the country’s top performing left-backs, Champions League-winning Ben Chilwell and PFA Team of the Year Luke Shaw, with right-footed Kieran Trippier preferred – and it worked, Southgate’s meticulous plan.
The Three Lions’ number three and former Saint, Shaw, started every other fixture therein, though, despite being stifled by the Scots in an underwhelming Wembley display at first.
Perhaps the introduction of club-mate and forward thinker Harry Maguire helped unlock Shaw on the left, as telepathic connections with Raheem Sterling began with a raking pass that saw the winger inches from sinking a gorgeous chip during the opening moments against Czech Republic.
He showed the bravery and spirit required of a lion, putting his head amongst the thrashing boot of Jakub Jankto to drive the Czech attackers away from Jordan Pickford’s goal, as England completed the group stage without a blight on their defensive record.
But pit against Germany, facing the old footballing enemy invoked painful memories of South Africa just over a decade ago.
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Shaw, tasked with a more advanced role as Southgate matched Die Mannschaft’s five-at-the-back, burst into life.
Putting one into the perfect corridor for Sterling to once again latch onto and tap home, before snatching the ball back himself on the halfway line and setting Grealish on his way to create a second, the old enemy was defeated.
England’s path to the final became clearer and Wembley erupted, but Shaw wasn’t done there.
Southgate’s men thrashed Ukraine in Rome and he showed his usefulness on the set-piece – in a team absolutely riddled with talent it was the former Saint who crossed from a deep free-kick with pin-point accuracy for the big head of Maguire.
Again, Sterling and Shaw just could not be stopped as the two – who had barely had any time playing with each other really – need not look up to locate one another with a cute pass.
Shaw added his third and final assist, and had not conceded in four starts, booking a semi-final date back home. Harry Kane was awarded Star of the Match, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who’d rip the intricate glass article from Shaw’s hands.
Although it took extra time to defeat the Danes, arching passes from England’s full-backs, wicked balls that decimate their opposite numbers and turn around the entire defence, were a constant.
And it was almost fitting. Almost.
Shaw, within the opening two minutes against Italy in a first men’s international final since 1966, gave England fans the moment of which they can tweet ‘My life peaked here’ for at least the next 18 months.
It was a brilliant finish from another of Trippier’s deep balls that found Shaw, who had evaded all detection in arriving at the back-post – a cleverly timed run from a clever, clever player.
They might not have captured the trophy but they will have captured hearts, and Shaw can hold his head high as one of the tournament’s best players.
His versatility in realising Southgate’s tactical vision, perfect.
To have recovered from the 2015 leg break that he did, to put behind him all the Mourinho jibes, to justify the affectionately awarded nickname ‘Shawberto Carlos’ – for all of that, Shaw deserves the plaudits.
Before the final, former Saints academy manager and current director of football operations Matt Crocker wrote to The Telegraph: “Luke - we all remember the commitment you and your family made, and all those hours trekking up and down the M3 several times a week.
“People talk up the influence of clubs and coaches but families, and all the years spent juggling everything, often gets left out. You’ve shown tremendous resilience. This is the reward.
“And you’re now one of the iconic players we want others here to follow. We have a dressing room in the academy named after you, just next to the one of Gareth Bale. And, in it, it’s got a photo of your first Saints game as an under-eight and then making your debuts for Southampton and England. We’re all thrilled for you and very proud.”
Tremendous resilience indeed. Well done, Luke Shaw.
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