Friday 10 May 2019 19:54, UK
Luke Shaw has admitted he would not have believed he could win Manchester United's Player of the Year award with Jose Mourinho as manager.
The England international was named the club's 2019 Player of the Year, as voted for by United fans, on Thursday as well as being named the Players' Player of the Year award by his team-mates.
Shaw has made 40 appearances in all competitions for United this season, ahead of Sunday's final game against Cardiff City, and was named Player of the Month on three occasions - in August, September and March.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of that game, Shaw said winning the award was bittersweet on the back of a disappointing season for the club, but said he had only believed he might be a contender after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over in December.
"It's nicer for me personally to win the awards last night after the way things have been at times," he said. "If you looked back a year ago, or maybe even before Ole come in, if someone said I was going to win those awards I'd have said there was no chance.
"But that's why it's nice, things change so quickly in football - one minute you're down, the next you're up and you need to keep on that up.
"I would have rather had a worse season and won a trophy but it wasn't meant to be. It's an honour to win those trophies, but it would've been better to do it with having a better season as a team.
"I just need to forget this season now and refocus on what we're going to do in 2018/19."
Midfielder Katie Zelem was named Manchester United Women's Player of the Year after scoring 11 goals during a successful inaugural campaign for Casey Stoney's side.
Tahith Chong edged out fellow nominees Angel Gomes and James Garner to win the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award, which recognises the club's best U23 player.
It caps a breakthrough campaign for the 19-year-old Dutchman, who has played in three different competitions since making his senior debut as a substitute in January's FA Cup win over Reading.
Mason Greenwood was named Jimmy Murphy Youth Team Player of the Year, succeeding Chong.
The 17-year-old striker has been recognised after scoring a combined 30 goals for the U18s, U19s and U23s.
The awards come off the back of a difficult season for United, which saw Jose Mourinho sacked, and the team's form dip alarmingly under his replacement Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after a bright start.
Solskjaer admits the club need to recruit well this summer to close the gap on their rivals.
"It's been a rollercoaster," Solskjaer said. "We had a fantastic start, everyone just enjoyed [themselves]. When you win games, you're confident, you smile, you start to enjoy yourself.
"Then we got a few injuries and it's been ups and downs the last two months but that's football, that's human beings. It's not like Football Manager. You've got to deal with different stuff outside football as well.
"There have been highs and lows but I've enjoyed it, it's a great challenge. I've not gone to bed one night worrying about what's going to happen because I love coming in, the boys are fantastic.
"It's a great challenge but it's a great responsibility as well, because this club is huge. The media and everyone's criticising us as soon as they've got a chance. We've just got to stick together.
"We've been through difficult periods before but we've got to come through it as a team. But we've got to do it together. We've got to recruit smart, keep blooding the youngsters and we will be fine."
