Exclusive – Southgate praises Man United star’s humility

England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate has praised the humility of Luke Shaw as his side qualified for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

The Young Lions beat Croatia 4-2 on aggregate to reach the tournament, which will be held next summer, with Manchester United’s £30million summer signing playing in both games.

Southgate has hailed the youngster’s attitude to the games having missed out on selection for Roy Hodgson’s senior squad and he feels it bodes well if other players start taking his lead.

He told Kick Off: “You only have to talk to Luke Shaw to see how much he enjoyed the two matches. He played extremely well and Croatia were a fantastic test for him. He’s shown humility to come down and fit in with the group and that’s what you hope for but it isn’t a given that that happens.

“Raheem Sterling was the same when he came down and played with us earlier in the year and if we can start to breed that mentality in our players then it gives them a great chance of being successful.”