There are multiple instances of miraculous stories in sports. While some can last a few moments, others can last a decade or so. Luke Shaw‘s career can be deemed as the one falling under the latter criteria.
Since his double leg fracture in 2015, Luke Shaw has not withered away, rather stayed at the top level of football. Now inching towards his 10th season since that horrifying night in Eindhoven, one thing still remains bothersome about the Manchester United defender. And that is his height.
In many bios, the player’s height is listed as 6’1″. This has been a point of discussion amongst footy lovers who were unable to fathom the given data.
However, on the Premier League’s official website, the height is listed as 5’10”. But that still doesn’t add up. To put it into perspective, we can compare his height to Marcus Rashford‘s, who is also listed as 5’10”.
Now let’s look at their picture standing next to each other. It clearly shows how Rashford is at least a good few inches taller than Shaw. So the numbers don’t quite add up. Either Rashford is not 5’10” or Shaw is not 5’10”. The pictures certainly bins the data that the left back is 6’1″.
If Rashford is indeed what his measured height indicates, then comparing his height to Shaw’s puts the latter in a region somewhere between 5’8″-5’9″.
Lying about their age is a practice mastered by millions of athletes around the globe every year. Remaining undetected has its own merits. No, not that it makes one great at lying, but it provides extra years to one’s experience. Sometimes, it’s an effective way to bolster career stats by playing at a lower age group as well.
Just like that, height has a similar bluffing trouble, making it one of the most visually detectable things in sports that has an increased chance of getting someone busted. In Shaw’s case, that applies thoroughly.
Sometimes player agencies push out juiced up data of their client to gain an advantage in the market. But incorrect measurements have multiple hazards down the line.
For instance, flawed data can affect personal training regimens, diet plans, analytical errors. Sometimes the factual accuracy also comes from the measurement techniques.
Athletes are often billed in two different ways; one is in-shoe height, the other one is without it. For most players, the height listed is of in-shoe height, making them a few inches taller than what they actually are.
For Shaw, the height is more glaring, since he’s always been under the cosh for his perceived fat body. The broader body also creates a visual illusion when he can look shorter than he actually is. So adding up a few extra inches might cover that flaw.
‘People can say I’m fat but I know my own body. I always look big because I’m bigger built – I’ve got that Wayne Rooney type of body,’ Shaw said in an interview.
Shaw’s trouble with injuries has been a recurring theme in his career and now, at 30, it is more imperative than ever for him to stay fit. In footballing sense, he is now a veteran of the game and only by staying out of fitness issues he can prolong his days on the field.
