Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has spoken openly about the legendary figures who have influenced his career at the Red Devils, highlighting Cristiano Ronaldo's extraordinary professionalism and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's fierce winning mentality.
Spending more than a decade at the Manchester club, the England international has shared the dressing room with some of the greatest talents in football history.
Shaw has spoken about the players who have left the biggest impression on him during his career.
He singled out Ronaldo as the most prominent figure among his former teammates, especially during the Portuguese striker's return to Old Trafford.
He also admitted that he was amazed by Ibrahimovic's physique, saying that the Swede had a very intense approach, not only in matches but also in quieter training sessions.
Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021 and, despite the controversial end to that chapter, Shaw said that seeing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's daily routine up close was a powerful experience.
In a recent interview, Shaw explained how much Ronaldo's dedication had struck him when the two trained together at Carrington.
"I feel I've been very lucky with the players I've played with," the left-back told the club's official website. "I could name many, but I think the number one is and has to be Cristiano. You can see very easily why he's been at the top for so long. His dedication, how professional he is," he added.
"He's been one of the best players in the world for many, many years, but just seeing the way he lives, how he prepares, his dedication to what he does before training and after training. It was really a pleasure to see that," he said.
Shaw also highlighted the mentality that Ibrahimovic brought to Old Trafford following the Swedish striker's arrival in 2016. The defender even admitted that a team needs to have a figure like Ibrahimovic in the dressing room.
"I don't think I've ever come across anyone like him before," he said. "His winning mentality was something I've never seen. A lot of great players have a winning mentality, but his was very, very big. Even in the little games in training, he always wanted to win. If you didn't win and you were in his team, then you would understand," the Englishman revealed.
"He was very, very aggressive. And he was like that, but I think you need people like that in the team. You need someone like that. He was also very dedicated. I think he was at his peak as well. But yeah, he was a very good character and everyone loved him. I don't think there was anyone who didn't get on well with him," Shaw concluded./Express newspaper/
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