Luke Shaw has agreed a new five-year deal at Manchester United after being convinced he is seen as the long-term answer at left back.

The England defender was adamant he would only commit his future to Old Trafford if he received assurances over the club’s plans for him.

The 23-year-old was due to become a free agent at the end of the season and refused to sign a new contract just to enable United to protect their asset.

He informed executive vice chairman Ed Woodward in the summer that he would only extend his stay if he believed he was seen as the first choice option on the left of defence.

His impressive form this season, after establishing himself ahead of Ashley Young, has convinced him he is now seen as Jose Mourinho’s preferred option.

The thawing of his once tense relationship with the United manager has also helped Woodward’s negotiations – although the club’s hierarchy had always intended to offer Shaw a new contract, even when he was forced to the fringes by Mourinho.

As with Anthony Martial (pictured with Shaw below), United are determined not to lose their brightest young talent, regardless of their current status in the team.

But Mourinho’s own involvement in Shaw’s decision to agree a deal believed to be worth around £150,000-a-week, cannot be understated.

The Portuguese was publically critical of the player’s form and attitude over the past two seasons – but he sought smooth relations over the summer when telling him of his faith in his potential and dropping long-standing interest in Juventus left back Alex Sandro.

Shaw became the most expensive teenager in the world when signing from Southampton for £27m in 2014 – but was criticised by then manager Louis van Gaal for his physical condition.

His progress was then curtailed when suffering a double leg fracture a year later.

His failure to establish himself under Mourinho saw Ashley Young picked ahead of him for England’s World Cup squad in the summer – but he has since gone on to produce the type of form that convinced United he could be the natural successor to Patrice Evra when signing him four years ago.