Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has fiercely defended Luke Shaw after the left-back faced heavy criticism following his return from injury. Shaw delivered a stellar performance in United's dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford, proving instrumental in containing Mohamed Salah.
Ferdinand took to social media to blast what he called 'disrespectful' comments about Shaw's fitness and commitment. 'The scrutiny on Luke has been completely unfair,' the former England defender stated. 'People forget he's been out injured and came straight back into one of the toughest fixtures. His performance today showed exactly why he's so important to this team.'
Shaw Silences Critics With Commanding Display
The 28-year-old defender, who had missed three months with a muscle injury, played the full 90 minutes against Liverpool's dangerous attack. Statistics showed Shaw made more interceptions (5) and completed more passes (89%) than any other United defender on the pitch.
Key moments from Shaw's performance included:
- A crucial last-ditch tackle to deny Darwin Núñez in the first half
- Effective overlapping runs that created two scoring opportunities
- Keeping Mohamed Salah largely quiet throughout the match
Ferdinand: 'Modern Football Culture Needs to Change'
The former United centre-back didn't hold back in his criticism of how players are treated during injury comebacks. 'We've created this culture where players are written off after one game,' Ferdinand said. 'Luke showed his quality today, but more importantly he showed the mentality we need at this club.'
Shaw's performance comes at a crucial time for United, who face crucial fixtures in their push for European qualification. Manager Erik ten Hag praised the defender's 'warrior mentality' in his post-match comments.
