Get the day's biggest United stories delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Gary Neville was able to keep a lid on opposition left-wingers for 19 years as a Manchester United senior but he cannot suppress his enthusiasm for the Reds signing of £27m Luke Shaw as easily.

Neville is the teenage left-back’s coach at England level and saw him at close quarters during England’s World Cup preparations and time in Brazil.

And, against his better judgment, he cannot help but eulogise about the Southampton Academy product, who celebrated his 19th birthday last Saturday, and will fly out with United on Friday to the USA for the pre-season tour under Louis van Gaal.

“I am trying to keep guarded here about the size of talent that exists in this footballer,” Gary told MEN Sport.

“You are talking about real brilliant potential. The reason United spent £27m on a left-back at his age is because they see the huge talent and I can only endorse that talent.

“You have to watch him at close hand to realise that this is an incredible and hugely talented football player. Luke Shaw is fantastic.”

Neville made his own United senior debut as a 17-year-old against Torpedo Moscow in the Uefa Cup in 1992 but it wasn’t until two years later that he made the regular breakthrough as Sir Alex Ferguson’s No 2.

Neville came through United’s ranks but he is convinced that Shaw’s grounding at the Saints and new boss Louis van Gaal’s pedigree for developing young players will see the Reds’ expensive investment become a bargain buy.

“Luke did brilliantly last season in the Premier League and he did enough to warrant and deserve an England call. We were really pleased with him in the summer at the World Cup. We felt he did really well against Costa Rica on his full debut,” added Gary.

“United fans have got to understand, and this is not the boy’s fault, is that when you sign someone at that age for £27m, you don’t get perfection straight away but you have to give him time and space to develop.

“I think Luke will need time to settle in, as any 19-year-old boy would coming to Manchester. I am expecting he will do well this season but you will really see a really quite fantastic full-back in 18 months to two years.

“When he matures and gets used to the club and settles into the environment and understands the expectation he will blossom.

“I came through at 16-17 with the rest of my mates and we virtually lived in the football club. We knew the expectations. It was drilled into us. He is coming from a very good football club and a very good youth system but he is now at a giant of a club. The expectations are massive. But he will get used to that.

“I am hoping that, from a football point of view, he is allowed to develop. The manager he has now got in Louis van Gaal has a track record of working with young players, so it is all perfect for Luke. He has joined absolutely the right football club in terms of his development. He can achieve anything he wants at United. United have signed someone for the long term.

“For a full back it is a very special talent that he has. He has to go and harness that, work at it and develop his game. There are things he will need to develop at United if he does that you will see a real top top player in 18 months to two years.

“He has to handle the pressure. You have to have the temperament to survive at United. Seeing him at the World Cup against Costa Rica and in training with the squad and more experienced players, I don’t see this as somebody who will not be able to handle it. He just needs time to settle and he should be given that time.

“His body strength is great. He has great power. He is confident on the ball. He can beat a man and can cross a ball.

“All 18-19 year olds will make mistakes. But so, too, do 28-29 year olds. I did throughout my career but when he makes mistakes people have to understand that a lot older players will do that. They shouldn’t expect too much of him, they have to let him develop and grow.”

Neville, however, is disappointed that Shaw won’t have Patrice Evra to look up to as the Frenchman is set to sign for Juventus.

“I am surprised and really disappointed that Patrice Evra is going,” said Neville.

“I thought it would be the ideal scenario this season for Pat to stay with Luke. For Luke to see someone with all the experience in the world would have been perfect.”