• Premier League

Shaw: I can handle United pressure

Luke Shaw made his first-team debut for Southampton in 2012 © PA Photos

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Luke Shaw has said he can handle the pressure of playing for Manchester United after becoming the most expensive teenager in world football.

Shaw completed his £27 million move from Southampton on Friday and was United's second signing in as many days, following on from the Thursday arrival of Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao. While his price tag, which could yet rise further, could be a burden, Shaw is confident he can cope.

"It is weird to think that it is only two years since I was playing against the United Under-18's," Shaw told MUTV. "Now I am signing for the club. At Southampton, I have learned to handle the pressure and I can keep doing what I am doing and improve. I want to come in for pre-season and show the new gaffer what I can do."

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Shaw will compete with Patrice Evra for the left-back spot in Louis van Gaal's new-look United team and believes he can benefit from the competition with the Frenchman, who has the been the first choice at Old Trafford since 2006.

He added: "I'm really excited to be working with him. He has been one of the best left-backs in the league for some time now and hopefully I can learn a lot off him."

The 18-year-old believes his style of play will suit new manager Van Gaal, who has taken Holland to the last 16 of the World Cup.

He said: "I've seen how Louis van Gaal plays at the World Cup, I have been watching the games and I know he likes to play an attacking game so that's how I present my game. I am very excited to speak to him. He likes to play attacking full-backs and that's something I love doing so I am looking forward to working under him. I can't wait to meet everyone and get started."

Shaw was first identified as a United target by former manager David Moyes and revealed the transfer had been on the agenda since before he departed for the World Cup.

He explained: "It's been going on for quite a long time now. I have known for a number of weeks that United were interested in me and I was hoping it might be done before the World Cup. It wasn't but now I'm finally here and I am very pleased and I can't believe it has happened.

"United are the biggest club in the world and they are always going to be up there with the best. The main reason I have come here is because they want to win trophies and so do I. As a young lad, I want to be winning trophies and that's the one thing they like to do."

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