Luke Shaw has underlined the remarkable transformation in his career for Manchester United and England by revealing he almost lost his right leg after sustaining a double break in 2015.

It is three years this month since Shaw lay stricken on the Philips Stadion turf following a controversial tackle from Hector Moreno as United faced PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League group stage.

The 23-year-old did not feature again until Jose Mourinho’s first match in charge – the 2016-17 season-opening Community Shield – but he has endured a tempestuous relationship since with the United boss, who has publicly criticised him on several occasions.

Now, Shaw has started all four of United Premier League fixtures, earned an England recall under Gareth Southgate and is in line to feature as the inaugural Uefa Nations League gets underway against Spain at Wembley on Saturday.

It is a far cry from the St Anna Ziekenhuis hospital bed in Geldrop on the outskirts of Eindhoven where doctors agonised over how best to manage the immediate aftermath of his injury.

“At the time, they were thinking about flying me back,” he said. “If I'd flown back, I would probably have lost my leg because of the blood clots in the leg.

"I got two... two scars down the scars of my leg where they had to cut it open and pull them out, the clots. I feel really strong now and my right leg is as it was before my leg break.

“I was really close to losing my leg. I didn't know that until six months later when the doctor told me.

"I would never have stopped, even if he'd said there was a worry, I would have tried. But I only found out six months later. The leg's feeling really strong now, so that's good.

“My family and friends played a massive part in that. I'd be lying if I said I didn't sometimes think about stopping playing football, but I had a lot of good people around me, friends and family, who helped me through it.

"This is what I want to be doing, playing in the biggest games possible and winning trophies. That is my motivation. I want to be recognised as one of the best full-backs in the world one day, but that motivates me highly.

“I had a lot of complications with my leg. That was a really hard moment for me in my career. But that was in the past. I don't care about that any more. I care about here and now, today.”