Manchester United's Luke Shaw has opened up about his struggles last season, calling it the "toughest year" of his career in a candid interview with club media. As the Red Devils prepare to face Aston Villa this Saturday, the 30-year-old defender reflected on a challenging period that tested him both physically and mentally.

Shaw is currently on the verge of an impressive milestone—he's just three games away from starting every Premier League match in a single season for the first time in his career. This season alone, he's featured in 35 games, logging over 2,970 minutes on the pitch. Under interim head coach Michael Carrick, Shaw has been a rock at left-back, starting every game and providing much-needed stability to United's defense.

But it hasn't always been smooth sailing. Shaw's journey at Old Trafford has been marked by resilience. After suffering a horrific leg break in 2015 that nearly ended his career, he fought back with incredible determination. Yet injuries continued to disrupt his progress, causing him to miss significant chunks of playing time. Last season was particularly brutal—he managed just 348 minutes of Premier League action.

"Honestly, it's so tough," Shaw admitted. "I think people just think, 'Oh, he's injured, he's not bothered. He doesn't care.' But it's not like that. Last year was probably my toughest year. Obviously, I broke my leg in 2015—that was completely different. But last season, I just kept picking up injuries, and I didn't understand what was going wrong. It was so hard emotionally, everything. I remember not knowing what to do. You feel like you're letting people down—your team, the fans."

This season, however, has been a different story. Shaw prioritized his fitness from the start, and it's paid off. "Thankfully, this season I feel like I've come out on the better side of injuries. That was one of the most important things for me—making sure I was fit for the whole campaign. It was a tough period, but you live and you learn."

For fans and aspiring players, Shaw's journey is a powerful reminder that even at the highest level, setbacks are part of the game. His ability to bounce back—and his honesty about the struggle—makes his current form all the more inspiring.