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Rio Ferdinand says £27m Manchester United player ‘makes big difference’

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand praised Luke Shaw during the Red Devils’ Premier League win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.

The Man United icon took to to express his delight with the 28-year-old finally being back in the Red Devils setup after some time on the sidelines.

Shaw has been absent for much of the season after picking up a muscle injury in the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham back in August.

He didn’t return until the 3-0 win against Everton late last month, but he has started all four matches since regaining full fitness.

Shaw was one of the few Man United players who emerged from the loss to Newcastle with some credit, playing well at centre-back alongside Harry Maguire.

Erik ten Hag Luke Shaw Manchester United
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

And against Chelsea, the England international consistently made himself available on the left as an overlapping outlet for Alejandro Garnacho.

He also created the first chance of the night for Rasmus Hojlund and was defensively solid, the Blues finding little joy when trying to attack his flank.

Ferdinand liked what he saw from Shaw, writing: “Having Luke Shaw back… makes big difference to the balance of the team!”

Shaw then moved to centre-back in the second half, where he continued to impress as Man United eventually ran out 2-1 winners over Chelsea.

In terms of stats, he registered a pass accuracy of 88%, completed 44 of his 50 passes, made three key passes, weighed in with two tackles and four clearances, and won two ground duels.

Shaw is a world-class footballer and one of the most important players for Erik ten Hag’s setup. It’s a good job to see the man back.