Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has admitted he wants to play under Mauricio Pochettino once again at some stage in his career, a statement that could anger Jose Mourinho and push the 22-year-old out the exit door for good.

Shaw became the most expensive teenager on the planet when he signed for United in 2014 for around £30m, but despite all the hype that surrounded his move he has failed to live up to expectations massively and is on the brink of leaving the club.

The 22-year-old made only his second appearance of the season as a substitute in Tuesday’s League Cup win over Southampton, and he has predominantly played in United’s U23 side this season, a move we all suspected was to help him gain fitness again. However, it has to be said that Shaw has been fit for weeks now, and not starting in the League Cup game would have been a massive blow to the left back.

Of course, we all know that Shaw has struggled massively with injuries during his time at the club, and it is fair to say that what little we have seen of the defender has been fairly impressive. But you get the sense that Mourinho does not trust him, and Shaw’s latest comments might spell the end for his United career.

Shaw made the comments in the epilogue for a new book on Tottenham manager Pochettino, and was quoted saying:

“He used to call me his son,” Shaw said in Brave New World. “That’s how good our relationship was. I’ve had lots of ups and downs, but when I was with Pochettino it was only ever up, up, up.”

Shaw worked with Pochettino for 18 months whilst at Southampton.

“He made me feel that I was the best. He’d show me clips of my games and say, ‘You could do this better.’ Not in a horrible way. Not I could have done better, but I should have done better, because he knows I can be better.

“I think with Southampton he achieved the impossible. We were one of the best footballing teams in the league… I do hope that I can play for him again one day. And I think he really wants me to play under him again.”

So could this be the end for Shaw? He’s had a roller coaster of a time working under Mourinho, but it has to be said that there are very few highs if any at all. United’s interest in Danny Rose could see Shaw going the other way – which would be a great shame to see as Shaw remains a fan favourite to many.