Luke Shaw can be England's Gareth Bale

Shaw made his England debut against Denmark yesterday

Southampton have proved yet again that they posses one of the best youth academies in England. Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Adam Lallana are some successful players who have come through the Saints academy. The latest player to come from Southampton’s long production line is Luke Shaw. Standing at 6 feet 1 the left-back is currently one of the Premier League’s best young players and could mature from a good player to a great one in due course of time.

The defender has already made his debut for the England senior side aged just 18 and is expected to make many more in the future. Shaw is being chased by clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City which shows just how promising he is.

The teenager adored Chelsea as a youngster and even had a trial at their academy but was rejected for unknown reasons – a decision the Blues must surely be regretting now. Shaw then joined the Southampton’s academy as an 8 year old and broke into their Under-18 team at the age of 15. The full back made his Saints debut on 28 January 2012 in the FA Cup game against Milwall and helped his team to a 1-1 draw. Shaw’s incredible talents prompted his club to offer him his first professional contract in the summer of 2012 when Southampton got promoted to the Premier League.

The defender made his Premier League debut against Swansea on 10th November at the age of 16, becoming the youngest Southampton player to start a game in the Premier League. Shaw gave an impressive performance which caused some transfer speculation but the defender pledged his loyalty to the Saints for the foreseeable future.

Southampton are really blessed to have a level minded youngster like Shaw as he is one of the few teenage players who does not get swayed when the big clubs come knocking at the door. Shaw’s performances along with his loyalty earned him a new 5 year contract which he signed on his 18th birthday.

The youngster has some amazing technical ability along with amazing attacking prowess and already has 8 shots on goal in the Premier League this season which is very good for a left-back. Shaw showed his ability as an attack minded full back in the game against Chelsea back in January last year when he provided the cross for Jason Puncheon’s 75th minute goal in a 2-2 draw. The left-back can also cause havoc in the penalty box which was demonstrated in the Saints first game of this campaign against West Bromwich Albion where he won a penalty which Rickie Lambert converted to give Southampton a win over the Baggies.

Former Southampton player and current Real Madrid superstar also started out as a left back before becoming one of the most dangerous wingers in the world at Tottenham Hotspur. The Welshman played in defense for the Saints and was also an attack minded full back who specialized in set-pieces. Shaw still has some time to go before he replicates Bale’s success but the early signs look promising. Shaw can easily graduate to a left-winger due to his attacking instincts.

The competition for the England left-back spot is also a blessing for Shaw. Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines are two amazing left-backs but Shaw can give them a run for their money. Cole is nearing the end of his career but Baines still has a lot of gas left in him. The competition can make Shaw a better player as he will be forced to up his game in order to earn more caps for the Three Lions.

Shaw’s unwavering commitment to Southampton is incredible but he will soon become too good to play for a small club like the Saints. A move to Manchester United or Chelsea seems almost inevitable. Either way, Shaw will have some big boots to fill.

The youngster will only get better with time and can become one of the best players in his position much like compatriot Ashley Cole. It’s only a matter of time before Shaw makes the England left-back spot his own and inherits the legendary number 3 jersey.