LUKE SHAW has warned former Manchester United team-mate Chris Smalling he won’t go easy on him during the Red Devils’ Europa League semi-final against Roma.
The left-back also said his outstanding United form is down to the return of his confidence.
United host the Serie A side in the first-leg of the Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.
Shaw is playing the best football of his career and says he is loving being out on the pitch again.
The 25-year-old said: “My form has been much improved, I’m enjoying my football. I’ve got my confidence back and I’m just loving playing football again.
“Personally it’s nice for me to have a good season but that doesn’t really matter if we don’t have a successful season and that is to win a trophy.
“If we don’t win a trophy and I’ve still had a good season I’ll be disappointed because the most important thing – and it’s why we play for a big club like Manchester United – is to win trophies.
“Yeah I’ve been good but I want to help the team push for this trophy and cap off a great season and one I’ll be happy with if we do win the trophy.”
Shaw’s former team-mate Smalling spent 10 years on the Old Trafford books since he signed from Fulham in 2010 and played 323 games and scored 18 goals for the Reds.
He joined Roma on loan in August 2019 before making the switch permanent last October.
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Former Red Devil Henrikh Mkhitaryan also plays for the Italian side but Shaw has no time for sentiment ahead of the European showdown.
He added: “Mkhi and Chris, I was here with both of them, and I really missed them when they left, they were really good guys and brilliant players.
“It’ll be really nice to see them, they’ve both been doing really well. They’ve both been a bit unfortunate with injuries but they’re back fit now and they will obviously make their team much stronger than before.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them tonight but the game is the most important, so we won’t be friends during it but maybe after we’ll have a chat.”
But asked if he will be taking it easy against his old mates, Shaw was emphatic.
He added: “No, there’s none of that. We’re all professionals and it’s our job, we’re doing it for ourselves but also the fans so it’s very important to keep being professional.
“It’ll be very nice to see them but we’ll leaving the talking until after. We need to win the game and doing everything to win it.”
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