Luke Shaw’s time at Manchester United has been disappointing. After four years at the club, having signed as the most expensive ever teenager, he has failed to fulfil his potential.

Jose Mourinho hasn’t seemed keen on the left-back and has preferred Ashley Young to him at left-back all season. This decision from the manager meant Shaw had no chance of playing for England in the World Cup this summer, despite playing in the last tournament when he was just 18.

However, Shaw has revealed that Mourinho does have the player in his plans and has been in touch over the summer to offer encouragement.

I was in Dubai with my girlfriend. It was funny – I was on my phone flicking through stuff. I got the text and accidentally clicked straight away [to reveal he read it]. The manager was probably thinking: ‘Jesus Christ!’I said to my girlfriend: ‘I’ve just opened it and I must look so weird now.’ It was fine. I left it a little bit to reply because I didn’t want to look too eager. It was a breath of fresh air when he texted me. I wasn’t expecting it. I spoke to him and it was really positive.

I know I have got the quality to [truly] become a Manchester United player. Because at the moment it would be easy to sort of give up, after what happened in the last year or so.

It would be easy for me to quit and say: ‘I want to go.’ Of course, if the manager comes and says: ‘You’re not a player for Manchester United, you’re not a player for me,’ then I’ll accept that and find another place.

I want to earn a contract. I don’t want a contract because in the next year I’m a free agent, so they might look to tie me down. I know the club believe me – I’ve spoken with them, the manager, I’ve had discussions, meetings. If they really wanted to they could’ve cashed in. I’m going to fight for it this year and I want to be in that starting team.

Mourinho knows what I can do. That was one of the texts he sent me in the off-season: ‘I know what you can do – you can be the best but you’ve just got to work on a couple of things.’ That’s why it pushes me on more. He says these things because he knows I can do it. He knows I can play for Manchester United.