A former Manchester United player has revealed that Louis van Gaal called Luke Shaw "fat" during a training session, with the incident described as "horrendous."
Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, two former United players recalled the Dutchman's blunt approach during his time at the club.
Van Gaal's blunt approach
Ashley Young said: "He was a character. Remember when he threw himself to the ground on the side of the pitch? It was unbelievable."
The conversation turned to Van Gaal's lack of a filter, with Mark Goldbridge asking: "Remember when he called that journalist fat?" Wayne Rooney then recalled a similar moment at Carrington: "He did that to Luke Shaw as well, didn't he? In training, it was horrendous."
Individual training regime
After being appointed Manchester United manager in 2014, Van Gaal publicly criticised Shaw's fitness levels and placed him on an individual training regime. The manager was implementing a demanding 3-5-2 system that required wing backs to cover the entire flank, and felt Shaw needed a specialised fitness program.
Shaw openly agreed with the manager's assessment at the time, admitting he had underestimated the step up in training intensity after arriving from Southampton. "To play in this formation you have to be really fit. I am fit but I am not at the high level he demands," he said. "I have got to get fitter to get up and down. It's something I have got to work on... I didn't come into United thinking it would be much harder. That's something I think I made a mistake on."
Pochettino's monitoring
Van Gaal was not the first manager to scrutinise Shaw's conditioning. Mauricio Pochettino, who agreed a deal to become Manchester United manager on Friday, previously went to extreme lengths to monitor the defender's diet during their time together at Southampton.
The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss revealed he would turn up at Shaw's house to make sure he wasn't eating pizza. When Gary Neville put the rumour to him on The Overlap in April, Pochettino confirmed the tale, replying: "Yes. It's like another thing that makes us proud because OK, you asked two questions yes."
Shaw's resilience
Shaw has dealt with questions and ridicule about his weight for much of his career. In 2018, the England international insisted he'd "never been out of shape," but stressed that scrutiny of his fitness had made him more resilient.
"You've just got to take it because there is always going to be negative criticism and positive but I think both of them can make you stronger," he said. "I think I've been unlucky because I've had a few ups and downs with different managers, but I would say I've never been out of shape. I've just, I don't know, sometimes people don't think I'm fitter than I am but that's all in the past."
Shaw added: "People think because of the way I'm naturally built I'm bigger than I am. People can say I'm fat but I know my own body. Yeah, of course I always look big because I'm bigger built. You could say a Wayne Rooney type of body."
Despite persistent concerns over his fitness, Shaw has remained a regular fixture at Manchester United for more than a decade, outlasting seven managers. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, a parting of ways is widely expected.
