Manchester United defender Luke Shaw said he should not have played in their match against Luton Town in February when he injured his hamstring, as he races against time to be fit for England’s opening European Championship match against Serbia on June 16.
England coach Gareth Southgate said earlier this week that he was taking a “gamble” in selecting Shaw for the squad.
The 28-year-old, who spent a decade at United, said he was disappointed when fans questioned his commitment to the club after he was selected for the England squad after playing just 15 games for United last season.
“If the coach asked me to play, I would never say no.” “But I wasn’t supposed to play (at Luton),” Shaw said. “It’s kind of everyone’s fault. Partly my fault, partly the (United) medical staff’s fault.”
“I came back very quickly and I ended up suffering another hamstring injury… I did my best to do everything I could to be fit for Manchester United.”
Asked whether he would play against Serbia in Group C on June 16, Shaw said: “It’s not really up to me. We’re just going day by day to see how I feel in training.”
“I would love to be in the first game, but I don’t want to rush because realistically I only have one chance. If I feel something, that’s it. I don’t want that to happen.”
Shaw added that England’s 1-0 loss to Iceland in their final European Championship warm-up match on Friday could be a blessing for the team. “This could have been the best thing to happen to us,” he said.
“It made us realize that going to Germany was not going to be an easy trip. It would take a lot of determination from the team to do it.”
